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Tag Archives: Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island | Australia’s Pristine Paradise

November 11, 2018New South Wales, TravelLord Howe Island

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net

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#ISH_SupportLocalBusiness - Juan Bowl & Tea. Sure,

#ISH_SupportLocalBusiness - Juan Bowl & Tea. Sure, you lose the elegant crockery, which to a reasonable customer is water off a duck's back. But to owner-chef Anna Ishiguro, this new takeaway reality is not an excuse to compromise. Assuming you eat ASAP, the food's just as good as when served in-store - notwithstanding losing the tactility and in-hand feel of the restaurant's tableware. . The menu is discounted 10% vs dining in, with the matcha tiramisu at half price due to its volume being 2/3 of its sit-in variant. Even in these troubled times, the restaurant's spirit of 'omotenashi' - the art of customer service - remains true. And you wonder why I keep coming back. #ISH_Juan

In Japan, sukiyaki is a type of nabemono (hot pot)

In Japan, sukiyaki is a type of nabemono (hot pot) that typically consists of strips of thinly-sliced beef which is first par-seared and then simmered at the table w/vegetables, udon noodles and whatever else you'd fancy if you were DIYing a Nihon-style hot pot. . The Kanto variant of this dish uses warishita (a blend of mirin, shoyu, sake, sugar & dashi) as the soup base (fully drinkable, unlike the fiery ponds of Sichuan hot pot), with goma paste as the dipping sauce (raw egg yolk is an optional side dip, if you can be bothered). . It's all a whole bunch of delicous, and Sasaki is selling 2p & 4p sukiyaki sets for takeaway to prep at home. It may not be 'open and eat' convenience, but on the plus side, it does make you feel like you've cooked something, while supporting small biz during these times. #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness #ISH_Sasaki

Takeaway omakase? Well, close enough is - in this

Takeaway omakase? Well, close enough is - in this environment - good enough. Matsui-san's Sashimi Shinsengumi has been selling platters for some time, which savvy diners have always known to be the consolation prize for when his omakase is inevitably booked out the moment the phone lines turn on. . Pictured is two of the $45, 10pc premium sushi set (coalesced into the one platter), with excellent pieces being the anago, ootoro, scampi, bonito, kingfish...okay basically everything. Lol. While I haven't had sushi from a platter in nearly five years (come @ me), I can't ever remember it being as good as this. Truly omakase grade goods with takeaway convenience. . Head to their Facebook page for details on how and what to order. #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness #ISH_SashimiShinsengumi

I'm starting a Support Local Business series (look

I'm starting a Support Local Business series (look for the hashtag #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness) showcasing takeaway/delivered food I've tried. This is obviously Sydney-only, and if I have to explain why that is, first let me begin by explaining why water is wet. . Anywho, it's a bit shitty that it took a global pandemic for me to discover Sandoitchi. A romanised pronunciation of 'sandwich' in Japanese (サンドイッチ), this little cafe on Oxford Street sells what must be my current favourite versions of things-between-bread. In the case of the prawn katsu (bottom), this is literally top dog right now. And as for the buttermilk fried chicken (up top), it's a little salty, but it's right up there with the best fried chicken sandwiches that's graced yours truly's gullet. The reasons are all the usual suspects: sufficiently fluffy white bread that still retains structural integrity, and a filling that's literally bursting with juices - like biting into a piece of fruit, but so much more satisfying. . I'm not saying this to try and get you to give it a go (though if you did, that would be the entire point of supporting small biz) - because you know me better than that - but I speak from the juicy, crunchy heart. Besides, for $12-14 a pop, the risk-reward ratio looks pretty good. . As I inadvertently did not order their tonkatsu (deep-fried pork) sando, I won't be able to compare it with other well-known Japanese cafes that do a mean porker. That said, shoutouts to @cafeoratnek / @cafekentaro and @doublecrossespressobar if you're looking for a porcine fix. I believe they are all operating in these times. #ish_sandoitchi

A very special toro, uni & caviar roll, plus a cou

A very special toro, uni & caviar roll, plus a couple of other bloody delicious things from a special chef on a very special omakase. Maybe it's me being sentimental, but Oe-san's finale was truly his apogee. This piece and the other morsels in the following pictures (particularly that toothfish 'yuanyaki' and sashimi platter) were truly some of the best bites at any Japanese restaurant I've visited in Sydney. . Oh and in case you're wondering - Masuya, unlike many Japanese restaurants, are NOT offering takeaway while #COVID19 rages on, so you'll have to scratch your fish itch elsewhere (not that there's a shortage). Until we next meet when this all blows over - hopefully much sooner than later (and much sooner, if everyone does their part!) #ISH_Masuya #sushiomakase

Seems almost like a lifetime ago now when we could

Seems almost like a lifetime ago now when we could still go out and like, visit places, ya know? . Throwback to the good times for the last time at Oe-san's omakase at Masuya. Yeah, if you missed the memo, they stopped doing it in early March after a glorious run. An apt lesson: wait long enough and any ship eventually sails. . Don't suppose anyone's doing a takeaway omakase, eh? 🍣 #ISH_Masuya #sushiomakase

#COVID19: wow, now that escalated faster than I ha

#COVID19: wow, now that escalated faster than I had expected - lockdown of 'non-essential' businesses. Don't get me wrong, while dining out is in my eyes 'essential', this was absolutely the correct move. . But now the next move's on you: the individual diner. I went on quite the rant recently (check out IG story highlights for all the cringe), but the messaging from above is now clear: takeaway & delivery the foreseeable future. Taking adequate precautions - wearing masks & gloves; driving where possible to your destination and avoiding public transport; touching as little of /anything/ as possible etc. - greatly reduces the risk in (occasionally) going out to #supportsmallbusiness. Restaurants will have to adapt and many will unfortunately fail, but we can collectively blunt the fall. . @juan.redfern, for example, has moved to a fully take-away format and is offering 10% off its special bowls (and if you contact them this week, you might just get a side of @monkeyscorner truffle too!). More generally, hit up @dmui's awesome pro bono site supportlocal.info for a fuller list of restaurants that are adapting to the delivery/takeaway mode that is sure to be the new normal. If you've read this far, I think you owe yourself a (takeaway/delivered) bite. Just remember to reuse/recycle all containers you get - this isn't an excuse to trash the environment! . There is light at the end of this tunnel, but doing your part - for both the vulnerable, and for small business - will make it that much brighter. #ISH_Juan #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness

#COVID19: Went on a huge ranty tangent yesterday o

#COVID19: Went on a huge ranty tangent yesterday on this (find it in my IG story highlights), but the message is simple: we're likely heading towards a total lockdown assuming the curve doesn't flatten, so try to #supportlocalbusiness where you can. For example, @monkeyscorner is closing their eat-in service but will be doing takeaway during this time. Assuming you eat it same-day, it's still bloody ace. . I'm sure you have your favourite eateries and haunts: if you want them to hang around, do whatever you can to support them. In this environment? It's looking like a whole lotta takeaway and to a lesser extent, gift cards. Gotta do what you gotta do: we're all in this together. #ISH_MonkeysCorner #ISH_SupportLocalBusiness

The unfortunate reality is that beating the COVID-

The unfortunate reality is that beating the COVID-19 malaise will require some pretty extreme measures - including minimising in-person visits to restaurants. I'll still be hitting up a few over the next week (full disclaimer), but will be tapering off after that and rely on low-contact means of supporting the restaurants I hold dear. Deep down, you know what you should do: and that's to be sensible. . If there were ever a silver lining (other than improved personal hygiene across the board!), it would be that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I await the day I get to have Sokyo pastry chef Anna's peanut butter fondant, sesame street 2.0 and mochi again! If you've followed my Sokyo adventures, you'll know that this is a rare revamp of their lauded dessert platter. Dare I say that it's better than ever - an unprecedented dessert for these unprecedented times. . Stay safe, and keep washing your hands everybody! #ISH_Sokyo

Limited seating; reasonable price; extremely good.

Limited seating; reasonable price; extremely good. These three key attributes were distilled from a discussion with a friend on how seats at Takashi Sano's (plus team) omakase at Sokyo can be the hottest in town - booking out as far as a year in advance. What can I say: sometimes the simplest reasoning makes the most sense. . I've now made my bookings out to December 2021. Now that's what I call investing with a long term view! [pics & vids were of my February visit] #ISH_Sokyo

The other restaurant we dined on our #emptyesky tr

The other restaurant we dined on our #emptyesky trip in the Southern Highlands was South on Albany, in the town of Berry. Now, my visits to the Southern Highlands number in the double digits, but there's no exaggeration when I say that this is my new favourite restaurant in the region. Yes, better than far more famous names. . It's the usual recipe of simple cooking, done bloody well. The spiced quail kiev, for example, was probably the best I've had - a spicy crust that crunched like gravel underfoot, backed up by strong technical skill in deboning such that you're effectively eating a lollipop of tender quail meat, with the smoothest garlic mayo on the side. Whoa. Then there's the pan-roasted blue eye from Coffs Harbour w/baked fennel, orange and rosemary butter. Fish off the bone is usually not the way to my heart, but this was as good as it's going to get: cooked to perfect baby cheek softness, but more importantly wildly good flavours (esp orange, fennel and sweet potato) demonstrating an advanced understanding of flavour composition that would impress a combinatorialist. Then finally there's the dessert: a 'basic' lemon pudding that was a bit sweet, but was matched with a blueberry compote (they're Eureka-sized too - if you know, you know) and lavender cream that's so ethereally light, I left the plate as in as clean a state as possible without licking it (as you'll see in stories). . When paired up with a few local whites (Coolangatta Estate Semillon & Tertini Chardonnay), it makes for a meal that's hard - very hard - to beat . Thanks @stephwoon & @nutellasum for the pics (my edits) as my phone was a fail! #ISH_SouthOnAlbany

The past weekend saw four of us leg it down to the

The past weekend saw four of us leg it down to the Southern Highlands (Berry, Bowral and Shoalhaven) on an #EmptyEsky road trip, an awesome movement that encourages domestic travel to bushfire-affected areas, where your spend makes a big difference to local businesses. We took the advice quite literally, dishing out close to $2k on pastries, wines, produce, and other knick-knacks. If you've still got an itch to travel with COVID-19 floating around, you could do far worse (and not much better) than exploring - and supporting - your own backyard. You can see most of what we did in the IG story highlights. . This post is on Bendooley Estate Restaurant, one of several that we visited on the trip. It's a winery, wedding venue, and is attached to what must be one of the prettiest bookstore-cum-cafes (Berkelouw Book Barn) I've ever seen (swipe right to the end). . The food was ridiculously-portioned (in the best way), but wasn't lacking from a quality standpoint. Spatchcocks were cooked to juicy tenderness, chilli crab linguine is an al dente favourite that rarely goes wrong (and didn't here), as was the jamon w/stracciatella. The smoked leg ham pizza was as gigantic as it was smokey, and the wood-roasted cauliflower main-ifies something that's oft-considered a side. Oh, and did I mention the bucket of shoestring fries? This is what overcommitment looks like. I was assuredly NOT Still Hungry after! #ISH_BendooleyEstate

Yesterday's post was all about how you can score d

Cards come and go, but of course I'm going to stic

Cards come and go, but of course I'm going to stick with the one that gives ALL THE FOOD REWARDS. I've been a continuous American Express card member for nearly five years now, and it's partly due to their unique events and experiences such as the American Express delicious. Month Out (AEDMO), a month-long food festival taking over Sydney for all of March. And when I say 'taking over’, I'm not exaggerating - there are nearly 1000 participating restaurants (swipe right to see a scroll-through) across Sydney, which includes nearly 200 from Parramatta! . So what do you get? If you're a card member (any Amex, not just the Platinum/Centurion high-flyers!), it's $20 off the bill when your spend is greater than $60, and you can do this twice per card. I've already used one of my offers at @balconbytapavino. Of course, you'll need to save the AEDMO Offer to your Amex account - don't forget to do this online or via the app prior to paying! . Furthermore, you can drop by one of Dining Precinct Lounges popping up in Surry Hills (this Thursday, 4-7pm), Potts Point (next Thursday) & Parramatta (last Thursday of March) for a @ghmummau or @sanpellegrino_official tipple, as well as some canapes prior to your discounted dinner. Swipe further right to get a sneak preview. For full info on all of this (and participating restaurants), I've got the event #linkinprofile . Given recent developments, it's particularly important to support those doing the hard yards in hospo - if you don't now, they might not be around for long - which makes this initiative from @amexau and @deliciousaus so well-timed. #amexdeliciousmonthout #amexlife #ish_balcon

Perfectly-tempered chocolate disks, caramelised ch

Perfectly-tempered chocolate disks, caramelised chocolate mousse, and black sesame ice cream. You never had to score a seat at the omakase counter to try Sokyo’s Goma Street (a play on ‘Sesame Street’). This pastry art is inarguably Sokyo’s signature dessert and has been around since time immemorial – or at least, since my first visit over eight years ago. Throughout the whole time, the concept has never changed. Like the restaurant’s Moreton Bay Bug tempura, saikyo miso cod or its crispy rice tuna, the restaurant’s a la carte menu has been anchored by these staples in what’s otherwise been a sea of change. . So you can imagine my childish desire to go ‘FIRST!!1!’ when I was served a WHITE version of Goma Street by pastry chef @annalee2664 in concluding @alex.yu84’s omakase. This version switches to tempered yuzu white chocolate, vanilla mousse and white sesame ice cream. I’ve already had it twice and it’s been improving – the intensity of the yuzu in each wafer-thin chocolate disk, the punch of the sesame in the ice cream. Ooft. Guess what: I think this is an upgrade. Next time you’re at Sokyo – even if a la carte – ask for this and you shall not regret. #ISH_Sokyo

Sixteen pieces of sushi, plus 9 appetisers. This s

Sixteen pieces of sushi, plus 9 appetisers. This seems like typical Sokyo, but Alex's omakase has a way of subtly ramping up the volume. I would be surprised if you don't get reasonably full. . As I mentioned in the previous post, there's a 'same same, but different' vibe, but this isn't the best way to showcase Alex's individuality - and besides, a comparison is only applicable if you've had the fortune of regularly sitting in front of Sano-san up till now. Alex's work speaks for itself. For example, the leveraging of his Korean heritage producing a drool-worthy yukke-style wagyu tenderloin w/nashi pear, garlic chips and egg yolk, or the amadai with Korean-style 'sujebi' dough pieces with fulsome clam dashi. His 'fast-cure' kobujime of ocean trout, bass grouper and scampi is also his own style, and so is his take on a grilled engawa - holy sh*t! He even messes with some staples such as kingfish and salmon belly, the former cured in an intense vinegar mix w/yuzu kosho and the latter hot-grilled, seemingly with direct application of charcoal. Flavour. Flavour. Flavour. . Anyway, there's too much to unpack even with this wall of text, but if I haven't convinced you thus far that Alex's omakase is worth trying, I never will. #ISH_Sokyo

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I'm Still Hungry - A Food & Travel Blog by Michael Shen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on the work at https://imstillhungry.net