ISYS 100 'Macca Chef'

Welcome to our Fungry blog video! Our video is about two cooks, Daniel and Bobby, who tried their hardest to make the best meals possible for our two judges, Rebecca and William, to judge their dishes. Who will be victorious in the battle for the title "Macca Chef”? Team Contribution: Bobby - Edited video, voice overs, participated in filming, participated as a character in the film Daniel - Edited video, voice overs, participated in filming, participated as a character in the film Rebecca - Edited video, participated in filming, participated as a character in the film William - Edited video, participated in filming, participated as a character in the film Jeff - participated in filming (Requested not to be filmed due to privacy concerns)

Devon Cafe- Surry Hills

It was never easy getting up early for breakfast or even brunch for a person like me who goes to bed when everyone else wakes up. Despite the difficulty, I forced myself to get my butt out of bed just for brunch at Devon Cafe. As many of my friends told me that I have to try it, I finally did. 

Devon Cafe is located at Surry Hills which is just a 2 minutes walk from Central Station. Having it conveniently located near a train station provides better accessibility for everyone and anyone that doesn't want to suffer in the Sydney traffic jam. 

The Devon "Fresh Cut" Guarantee

A subtle black on black sign i found in Devon Cafe.

Devon's uniquely decorated interior

Although i'm not quite sure of what theme Devon Cafe is going for, it sure does look really awesome. With graffiti sprayed on the walls and army camouflage netting all around, it really creates a different vibe to the other cafes that I have been to in Sydney. 

Devon Cafe's Menu

Devon Cafe provides a very unique style of food, as according to them, they draw their inspiration from the multicultural cuisines in Australia. 

"Porky Pig"

Despite the fact that my friends recommended me to have their famous "Breakfast with the Sakuma's" I wanted to try something different. The weirdly combined dish of apple slices with pork definitely had me thinking twice at first but after trying it, i had no regrets. 

"Devon's Style Fish Cake"

The fish cake served here is no ordinary fish cake. I know it might sound boring to have fish cake for brunch but trust me, this will be the best fish cake you'll ever have. 

The fish cake is basically made up of flakes of King Salmon and potato. 

BEST..FISH..CAKE..EVER...PERIOD

"Devon's Super Crunch Chips"

After devouring our mains, a friend of mine and I felt like it was incomplete, so we ordered a serving of Devon's Super Crunch Chips. The chips were quite spicy due to the Portuguese dressing that it was seasoned with, but it was all worth it. 

- Bobby

Devon cafe's menu: 

http://www.devoncafe.com.au/menus2/#devon-on-danks

Devon Cafe

76 Devonshire Street

Surry Hills 

NSW 2010

A reservation can be made via Dimmi @ http://www.dimmi.com.au/

or email reservation@devoncafe.com.au

The Empire Hotel

The Empire Hotel, Annandale is an interesting historical pub. It greets you with impressive décor from the moment you arrive. This décor adds to the great ambiance the pub has to offer as it plays host to a vast mix of people. The Empire has a comprehensive menu; Food is reasonably priced and is made ready to take back to you table quickly.

 Every night there is also a special on a certain dish. Despite this the food could be considered a little pricy for a pub feed. The pub has a good selection of beers and wines and great cocktail list. Be warmed though, service may have some attitude. Overall The Empire Hotel is provides a great casual pub experience.

Address:

103 Parramatta Road
(Cnr Johnston Street)

Annandale NSW 2038

Phone: 02 9557 1701

Hours:

Mon – Thur  10am - 12 midnight

Friday  10am - 12 midnight

Saturday  10am - 12 midnight

Sunday  12 noon - 10pm

O Bal Tan

Hi guys, William here! O Bal Tan is a Korean BBQ restaurant which is located on 363a Pitt Street, CBD, Sydney, NSW. It is located next to another Korean BBQ restaurant in an alleyway which could be hard to find since my friends and I missed it twice while looking for it, but after minutes of walking we finally found it.

The food here is great and has a reasonable price on the popular foods which is the raw seasoned beef which you cook it yourselves using charcoal. The servings do come in quite large portions and the experience of cooking food yourselves in a restaurant is also very nice. They serve entrees such as fish, tofu and radishes which are free and can be refilled for free as well. Below are the entrees they serve which can be refilled.

Kin by Us

Hi guys, its Jeff here again, this time bringing you another interesting place I found.

This time its King By Us which is located in Macquarie Park. The owners of the relatively new place is run by owners Shannele and Uel lim who are from My Kitchen Rules. The store is laid out in a family friendly manner with  long tables laid out and an open style kitchen.




The food served at this place is an interesting blend of Singaporean, Chinese and Indonesian dishes which reflects the roots of its owners. What you have is a surprisingly good combination for good sensory delight.



Aside from food, nearly half the menu is devoted to drinks and milkshakes. There are juices, to various milkshakes, to teas and half dessert like things with an ice cream float or something. The store gets quite crowded at lunch times and closes quite early at 3 so it would be wise to go early. The price are cheap, mostly hovering between $5-$20 which makes this an attractive place for students and workers on lunch break alike.

picture source: http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/eat-out/review/restaurant/kin-by-us-20150320-3sj63.html

Pu'er

Hey Fungry readers. I recently ate at an interesting Asian fusion restaurant in Waterloo called Pu’er. I had never eaten Asian fusion food before so it was a new experience. They served dishes such as Hong Kong mini burgers and Wagyu tacos. I ate a mixture of traditional dishes such as Shanghai Dumplings along with these more experimental ones. The dishes we at times a little too rich, particularly the burgers served on a brioche bun; however over all the fresh ingredients made for a pleasurable culinary experience. Personally I prefer more authentic Asian cuisine but really this is just part of the experience of Pu’er. You get something new and different making each dish a talking point for the table. The service was fairly good and the waiters had a good knowledge of the menu. Pu’er also had a creative cocktail list and a good range of local and imported beers and wines. Please note the restaurant is design for more of a quick eat style of dining due to the seating.

Until next time

Daniel

 

Address: 20a Dank St, Waterloo NSW 2017

Phone:(02) 83991331

Hours: 

Tuesday - Friday

Lunch 12pm - 3pm, Dinner 6pm - late

Saturday & Sunday

12pm - late

N2

Hi guys William here! N2 is a very popular ice cream shop in China town. N2 serves ice cream that is made by using liquid nitrogen and taste even better than normal ice cream knowing that. The most expensive ice cream is $9 and the rest are $7, but they all taste good and are all worth it. They change their flavours every week or two so people try new flavours which they havent tried at N2 before which keep the customers coming. At night after 7pm, N2 is very busy with a really long line.

I tried the Dirty Milk flavour which consist of vanilla ice cream with nuts, cookies, and choc chips. It tasted very nice and I would come again to try and different flavour.

My friend tried the Lava Matcha flavour which is a green tea flavour. Both our ice creams were $9 and I would recommend this ice cream shop if you haven't tried it before.

Ironwood Coffee Company

Hey Guys, Daniel here. Ironwood is a recently opened restaurant in Woolwich. By day it is a popular spot to grab great certified Fairtrade, Organic and Rain Forest Alliance coffee. By night the establishment provides a relaxed atmosphere in which their fantastic Modern Greek-Australian cuisine. The produce is fresh and generally locally sourced from organic farmers. This makes for a fantastic menu you cannot go wrong with. I enjoyed the Lamb Kleftiko, a slow roasted lamb rump served with potato mash and red wine rosemary jus. The service is also great. The waiters are all experienced and friendly. A huge range of fantastic desserts are also on offer. I promise this restaurant will have you pondering what you should order for a long time. Everything on offer is great. However this restaurant is not casual dining and this is reflected in the prices.

 

Ironwood Coffee Company Cafe Restaurant

Address: 102 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich NSW 2110

Phone:(02) 9879 7770

Hours: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm

Bannos Brownies- Miranda Westfield

What do you get when you spell stressed backwards? DESSERTS! 

At Bannos Brownies, there's a huge variety of brownie flavours and a number of gelato flavours that are available for selection. You can order them individually or as a combo that will be served in a jar.

Oreo Brownies w/ Milk Chocolate Gelato in a Jar

After having dinner at one of the many restaurants at Westfield Miranda, Bannos Brownies is no doubt my number one choice for desserts as it is not only affordable, at $4.30 a brownie, it is also mouthwatering. 

I ordered milk chocolate gelato with Oreo brownies in a jar and it was incredibly satisfying. The rich flavour of the brownies combined with the creamy gelato goes together extremely well. This is by far the best brownies I have had in Sydney. The large variety of different flavours would make me go to them every time I head to Westfield Miranda even though there is always a line. 

The combination of the gelato and brownies in a jar is a well sized dessert which you can definitely squeeze in even after dinner.

- Bobby 

Fresh Food Hall, Level 1

Westfield Miranda

600 Kingsway, Miranda 

NSW 2228

Head over to their Facebook Page to find out more! 

https://www.facebook.com/bannosbrownies

Golden Lotus

Hey guys, William here! This time it's a Vietnamese/Thai vegetarian restaurant called Golden Lotus located across Newtown train station. It is a new vegetarian restaurant that just opened up a few months ago and it even has mock meat which taste exactly the same as normal meat, so even meat eaters can feel comfortable eating in a vegetarian restaurant. Their chef's favourite is the mock duck with plum sauce, which I had a few weeks ago at the Golden Lotus. I recommend choosing their noodles over their mock meat since my friends who were eating noodles were thinking how delicious it was while I was getting confused if it was actually real meat and how they actually made it!

For dessert I had their banana cake and coconut ice cream because the waiter exaggerated how fresh and good it was, while my friend had fried vanilla ice cream. According to my friend her fried ice cream was really good and she would of got another one if she wasn't so full from her noodles. The banana cake came out on top with the exact description as the waiter described it, so it was very nice. I would recommend coming to this Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant at least once for anyone.

Liana's Italian Restaurant

Hey Bloggers! It’s Rebecca again, and I’d love to tell you about my recent experience at Liana’s Italian Restaurant, located on 306 Church Street (corner of Phillip Street), in Parramatta NSW 2150. Friendly waiters greeted us at the door upon entering the Italian-styled restaurant, covered with classical décor in a crowded setting. When seated and provided with a menu, it was clear that the restaurant was targeted more at an older demographic, through their style and menu price range. The broad menu, including various drinks and desserts, breads, salads, appetizers and sides, risottos, homemade pastas, pizza, and steak, meat, chicken, veal, fish, and seafood dishes, presented a difficult decision for ordering. When my chosen meal of beef lasagne came out, I was impressed by the large serving size of the dish, as well as its intricate presentation and styling. Overall, I would recommend Liana’s Italian Restaurant due to their wide menu of delicious meals, although more-so to an older demographic due to menu prices and the overall style of the restaurant.

 

Information and Image Reference:

Liana's (2015). Liana's Italian Restaurant.  Retrieved September 26, 2015, from 

 http://www.lianas.com.au/index.asp

La Botte Pizza & Pasta

Hi all, it’s Rebecca here! In this blog I’d love to let you know about La Botte Pizza & Pasta, a well-established restaurant (and take away service) located on 291 Pennant Hills Rd Carlingford, NSW 2118. La Botte, spacious and loud in its constant flood of patrons, is promoted as a family friendly venue suitable for all ages and ranges of tastes. With function catering and set menus, it also appeared to be a place of celebration and group gatherings. On analysing the menu full of entrees, pizzas, pastas, risottos, veal, chicken, seafood, various drinks and desserts (particularly gelato), my group of guests decided to go for the shared option of pizza. Within the array of gourmet pizza’s ordered, the Bolognaise pizza sparked my appetite the most, with its authentic flavours and fresh taste. I would recommend La Botte to various demographics, particularly families and groups, due to its buzzing atmosphere, great tasting dishes, and fairly standard prices.

 

Information and Image Reference:

La Botte (2015). La Botte Pizza & Pasta.  Retrieved September 26, 2015, from 

http://www.labottepizzaandpasta.com.au/index.html

Hot Frog (2015). La Botte Pizza Pasta Carlingford. Retrieved September 26, 2015, from http://www.hotfrog.com.au/business/nsw/carlingford/la-botte-pizza-pasta-carlingford 

Murakame Udon Chatswood

Sup guys, its Jeff here bringing you another recommendation for you guys to try out. This time its Murukame Udon in Chatswood.




Murukame is a well known store in Japan and has made its way over to Australia. As its name suggest, this place primarily serves Udon though there are other choices as well. Udon can be paired tempura, beef, chicken as well various broths to go along. Each Udon set comes in a small, medium, large or extra large portions. Personally for me though, nothing other than the extra large option can fill me but that's just me.

This store operates in a "canteen" style manner in that you order what set you want right at the start and its there made right on the spot. You then proceed along the table with the option of picking anything extra you want. At the end, the staff counts up your items and then you pay. Seats are available and there is even a second floor.

This is what I had:

 

 Beef Udon

The price is cheap and the store feels authentically Japanese. Aside from Udon there is also Japanese curry rice available. 

A must try if you like Japanese food!

First picture source:

http://www.chocolatesuze.com/2014/03/02/marukame-udon-chatswood

Basil & Lime Thai Restaurant

Hi Bloggers, It’s Rebecca here! I just wanted to let you know about my recent dining experience at Basil & Lime Thai Restaurant, located at 81-82/328-336 North Rocks Road, within North Rocks Shopping Centre. Basil & Lime is a small, yet welcoming restaurant boasting modern colour schemes and wooden designs, whilst offering an array of authentic Thai-based dishes for patrons of different tastes. Such variation included numerous entrée, soup, salad, BBQ, curry, stir-fry, noodle, rice, and dessert options within the menu selection.

In receiving my shared entrée of satay chicken skewers, followed by collective dishes of massaman beef, chicken pad thai, and chilli jam with cashew nuts, I was impressed not only by the taste and quality of the dishes, but also the serving size and reasonable prices. In saying this though, an aspect of the dining experience that was slightly off-putting was the serving of our boiled rice order. Here, rice was offered and refilled to diners as the waitress assumed it was required, which forced a dependent dining approach.

Overall, my dining experience at Basil & Lime was very enjoyable, and I would therefore recommend the restaurant to all individuals and groups wanting to enjoy a high value Thai dining experience. In saying this though, I would more-so recommend smaller groups enjoy this restaurant, due to spatial awareness and the intimate atmosphere provided.

 

 

 

Information Reference:

Basil & Lime (2015). Basil & Lime Thai.  Retrieved September 30, 2015, from  http://www.basilandlime.com.au/

 

(Note: Pictures are from my own photography.)