Tim Ho Wan (Chatswood)

The Hong Kong yum cha sensation that is Tim Ho Wan has arrived at the newly renovated food court above Chatswood train station. Rumour has it that if you start lining up now, you should be able to get a seat next week. Slight exaggeration, but as a rough guide we waited for around 1.5hrs when we went at 12pm on a Saturday. It's popularity and hype is based off the original Hong Kong restaurant, which is dubbed the "world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant". Outside of Hong Kong, there are only franchises in 3 countries - Singapore (which I have also been to), Philippines and now Australia.
 
The vibe (and pricing) is definitely not of the cheapest yum cha in Sydney. The table area is actually quite spaced out and roomy, the restaurant is clean, and waiters wear plastic masks which I assume is to prevent them from spitting into your food??

Random fact: Tim Ho Wan is not the name of the owner or chef, it actually translates to adding good luck.

The menu is very simple, there are 25 dishes and 6 beverages. Many of the items can be found at most yum cha joints, however some do stand out. The dish which has given Tim Ho Wan world wide fame is the BBQ Pork Bun - of the 1hr 30mins that I waited, I would dedicate 1hr 29mins to the BBQ Pork Bun.

Simple menu of Tim Ho Wan

You order by filling in the number of servings of each item you like on a paper menu. With a large enough group, it is very possible to try every single dish! For smaller groups I would recommend trying the "Big 4 Heavenly Kings" (4 specialty dishes), the pork rib, wasabi prawn dumpling, braised chicken feet (if you are brave or Asian...) and the mango sago pomelo. Some people actually order an extra serving of the BBQ Pork Bun to takeaway though it is definitely not as tasty as having them fresh.

H1: BBQ Pork Bun $6.80. Sweet, crispy bun, filled with savory, moist char siu pork. Best dish! If there is one extra, don't do the Asian polite thing and not eat it...fight for it!!

H2: Carrot Cake $6.00. Less oily than at other places, worth a try.

H3: Steamy Egg Cake $5.50. Sweet and fluffy.

H4: Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver $7.50. Personally not a fan of liver. Only get it if you like pate flavour, otherwise V5 which has BBQ pork as the filling is a good alternative.

C8: Braised Chicken Feet with Abalone sauce $6.20. Surprisingly nice - not as savory as what you commonly find with the black bean sauce version.

S11: Pork Rib with black bean sauce $6.80. Tender with just the right amount of fat. Recommended.

S9: Prawn Dumpling $7.80. Nothing spectacular. A bit pricy for only 4.

S13: Beancurd skin with Pork and Shrimp $6.20. The beancurd skin absorbs all the flavours really well. Recommended.

D18: Wasabi Prawn Dumpling $7.80. Deep-fried. Funky idea, I wouldn't mind a stronger wasabi kick.

R23: Glutinous rice in Lotus Leaf $8.80. Lacks fillings, I wouldn't recommend wasting your stomach room on this.

R22: Rice with chicken, sausage and mushroom $8.80. Again rice is very filling, I would rather fill myself with another BBQ pork bun!

D24: Mango Sago Pomelo $6.00. Light, sweet, chilled. Recommended.

 Recommendations:

• Expect a (very, very) long wait if you are planning to go before mid year or maybe even beyond. Great way to catch up on the entire life stories of your friends while waiting in the queue.
• If you prefer a shorter wait, consider going at an unconventional meal time.
• Dishes are suited for sharing so go with a group.
• You can get takeaway of the BBQ Pork Bun (only if you order at the table).
• Personally I think it is worth trying - provided the wait time is less than 30 mins...so maybe try it next year?

Cuckoo Callay (Newtown)

BACON BACON BACON!!! OI OI OI!!!

Cuckoo Callay is a cafe conveniently located right next to the entrance of Newtown train station. Starting from 9th of Feb for 12 weeks (which by my calculations means till 3rd of May), Cuckoo Calley is running a Bacon Festival, which means a mouth-watering sample of dishes featuring what must surely be the greatest animal to land on our plates.

The actual cafe is not huge; we went for lunch on Friday, the staff were helpful enough to move some tables together on the outside for our group of 8. I wouldn't imagine this would be possible during their busy periods. The staff were very friendly, and the service was excellent - they provided a new dish for my late colleague after the initial dish got cold, gave us a free beer after he accidentally opened the wrong bottle and replaced another beer which was flat. Small attention to detail was also impressive - with the cups for water coming with ice already inside.

Now onto the dishes...they say a picture is worth a thousand words...well I'll let you enjoy the following succulent novel:

Best. Chips. Ever. $9. (that's the name...it was good but probably not the best chips ever)

Bloody Bacon Cuckootail $14. (Bloody Mary with bacon)

Pumpkin fritters with salmon (aka Cinderella's Breakfast). $18. One of my colleagues didn't order from the bacon menu...not judging or anything but that's poor form!!

Bacon, Get in Ma Belly. $20. (Pork belly, with limited Bacon...)

What a Croque of Bacon $19

Don’t Go Bacon My Heart $19. (Bacon chicken burger)

Bacon All the Rules. $24. (all things bacon...and poached egg + sourdough cos diversity is important)

Drizzle Sticks $10. (bacon drizzled in chocolate and hazelnut)

Recommendation:

• Definitely try the menu during the bacon festival. Food was tasty (though to be fair, it's hard to go wrong with a bacon theme), service was top notch.
• Location is right outside the train station, so very easy to access. However, the cafe isn't very big so might be difficult for large groups. Usually they don't do bookings either.
• You can write a message on the bathroom door as shown below:

Bertoni Cafe (Balmain)

First came the cronut, then we had the ramen burger...now hold onto your hats, here's the lasagne burger!!

Following the footsteps of previous food mashups, Bertoni Caslinga (Cafe) in Balmain has combined a lasagne and a beef burger. Being a huge lasagne fan, this was one place I simply had to visit.

The famous lasagne burger

The "bun" is made of the lasagne half (lasagne sheets, mince and cheese), which has been fried so that it has a crispy texture. The middle consists of a beef patty, with more cheese. Served with chips, it was very filling. Overall, the flavour was fulsome and it was fun to try another novelty food mashup, however I wouldn't say it was the greatest lasagne or burger beef I've had before.

If the lasagne burger isn't your thing, the cafe also offers a range of salads, pastas and paninis for a very reasonable $15.

Recommendation:

• Very filling (don't even think about it if you calorie count), consider sharing.
• Not the biggest cafe, seats maybe 20.
• Try the coffee.

Bubble Soccer

Imagine running around in giant inflated balls and bumping off everyone in your way...the sensation that is bubble soccer (aka football) has well and truly arrived in Australia. Bubble soccer is fun to play, and even funnier to watch. It almost seems like soccer was the afterthought rather than the main objective.

While you should expect to fall over (a lot), the "sport" is quite safe. There are both indoor and outdoor venues. Usually court hires are for 1 hour, but it is surprisingly tiring so take plenty of breaks. In addition, there are usually different weights for the balls (6kg, 15kg), whilst you get bigger hits with the heavier balls you won't last very long.

Below is a short sample of what to expect:

Recommendations:

• Great for groups of 8 or more.
• It gets very sweaty and tiring quickly, so bring a change of clothes. Sleeves which cover the shoulder are recommended to prevent abrasion from the shoulder straps.
• Remember to film it! It will make hilarious viewing afterwards.

http://www.bubblesoccer.com.au/

Ramen Ikkyu (Chinatown)

Hidden away in the corner of Sussex Centre food court is a superb ramen takeaway. There are some rice dishes, however the ramen is definitely the specialty. There are 16 different ramen dishes, whether you prefer thick, rich broth, lighter broth, spicy or mild, they have got you covered.

For those feeling a bit hungry, get the pork rib ramen. The ribs are literally too large to fit into the bowl are are juicy and flavoursome. If somehow you are still not full you can even get free Kaedama (noodle refill). The Chef Special is also very good - comes in black garlic oil and chilli oil, otherwise if you prefer are lighter broth go with the Tokyo ramen.

Recommendation:

• Good place for lunch, but the food court can get busy, so get there early to grab a seat.
• Those feeling hungry should try the Pork Rib ramen, those less hungry should convince a friend to get the Pork Rib ramen then grab a piece from them.
• Don't forget the free Kaedama (noodle refill).

The Vogue Cafe (Macquarie Centre)

Feeling a bit peckish after shopping at H&M, Gap, Uniqlo,  Zara and Forever 21? The Vogue Cafe in Macquarie Centre is perfect for you.

Macquarie Centre has undergone a makeover transformation which Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy would have been proud of. A whole new section, a new train station, not to mention a host of international fashion stores has revitalised the centre. Since Macquarie Centre does not sponsor me in any way I will stop giving them a plug and move onto the food.

 
Located on level 2, the Vogue Cafe offers an all-day breakfast menu, along with burgers, salads, pastries and its famous smoothies/shakes. The decor is lovely, especially the attention to detail all the way from the wooden doors and windows to the little tags on vases which serve as table numbers. Despite being indoors, the cafe makes every attempt to create an outdoor garden feel.

Some of the cakes, pastries and sweets on offer

If you were after something substantial, I had the "Not a Misteak" - scotch fillet steak, bacon, sauteed spinach, mushrooms, seeded mustard and mayo, served with chips. Flavour-wise it was pretty tasty, the seeded mustard and mayo combo for the sauce was a great combo, though unfortunately my steak was a little overcooked. The chips were nice and crispy. It was quite filling in the end.

"Not a Misteak": Steak, bacon burger

For something a little lighter, you can get the "Salmon slice" - salmon, avocado, grilled tomato, capers and spanish onions on toasted bread.

Salmon slices

And the best till last, all the drinks at the Vogue cafe are amazingly presented. I got the mixed berry smoothie, which came in a choc-rimmed jar with a cone and Maltesers. The smoothie was very refreshing. One tip would be to eat the cone early, don't let it get soggy as I did!

Recommendation: 

• If in the area, I would recommend trying this place, even if you are not hungry, grab a drink.
• I am generalising, but I feel that this cafe will appeal to the female clientele, so guys if you are taking your girlfriend shopping and you need a rest, why not take her here?

Mary's (CBD)

On the 28th of November, there was a disturbance in the Force...the Star Wars trailer had come out amidst much anticipation while Mary's also opened amidst similar but more locally contained anticipation.  Thankfully, the public response to Mary's has been far more positive.

Mary's is famous for their fried chicken and burgers at the Newton restaurant. In this CBD takeaway, the menu is simple - you have the selection from 5 burgers, which is fantastic for those who struggle to make a decision.

 

Burgers are $10-$12, while a meal deal with Fries and Soda/Thick Shake will set you back $15-$19. Whilst by no means cheap, this won't break the bank either.

You can add an extra patty and/or bacon to the burger. The options for the thick shake on the day were chocolate and passionfruit. Luckily for me, the day I went was the first day the thick shake machine worked!

Chicken Burger with Chocolate Thick Shake

I went with the Chicken Burger meal with Chocolate thick shake. One thing about Mary's is that it is substance over style, it will never win a fashion contest but then again all burgers are beautiful...

I really enjoyed the burger - the chicken was juicy the whole way through, the bun was soft but not flaky, and rounded off by the traditional tomato, lettuce, onion and cheese. The Mary's sauce brought it home. The fries (reminded me of Macca's fries) and thick shake were good complements but the burger was the attraction.

Mary's Burger

I will be back to try their other burgers for sure (such as the Mary's Burger pictured above)!

Recommendation:

• Definitely worth trying, try to get there early/late as the queue and serving time can get up to 30 minutes, otherwise wait till the hype dies down. Don't forget there is tomato sauce on the side counter.
• Not recommended for those with a strict diet -  a logo (which has now been taken down) had the motto "Get Fat".