Work in Progress… @patrickfriesen

In a second part to my Patrick Friesen filled birthday weekend, we marched on down to Work in Progress. As part of Merivale’s March into Merivale sequence, Work in Progress have opened for the month of March as a pop up in the CBD. It truly has been a Merivale foodie month for me. If it was anything like the perfection in cooking at Papi Chulo, that was what was making me jump for joy in the bus on the way there.

Knowing Patrick’s love for all things Asian food – because let’s be real here, that’s the kind of food that makes the world, and people, go round – there would have to be a mixture of different type of cuisine flavours, from Chinese – Vietnamese – Korean – Japanese.

Loving the colourful layout of the restaurant with Asian inspired coffee shop tables with cutleries and sauces on standby by the table. And again, the Sambel making an appearance! Still as thrilled as when i saw it at Papi Chulo. Must be Patrick’s favourite chilli.

I absolutely loved that the food came so fast and not even in the order of starters then mains which made me anticipate which dish was going to come out next.

Supreme Wonton – wonton mien, egg noodles, pork and prawn wonton, supreme broth ($16)

First we had the Supreme Wonton that had the tastiest soup I had in ages! Actually reminded me of my grandma’s wonton noodle soup. Peak comfort food! The whole table could definitely agree that we could just do with bowls and bowls of the soup for days. It was definitely supreme in its nature. The pork and prawn wontons were really fresh, there was the chewy minced pork merged with the crunch of the prawns wrapped in soft wonton skin. Normally the noodles in my wonton soup are usually very soft but the noodles were here more on the crunchier side which was very different for me but I still very much enjoyed the change in texture.

Agedashi-ish Toufu ($14)

I can see why this was an ‘ish’ sort of Agedashi Toufu. The broth tasted very different to a traditional one – and also clear which you can see in the picture. The texture of the toufu skin was much more crispier than a usual soft and elastic texture. However, it was one of my favourite dishes as you can’t go wrong with toufu. The different broth this had might actually be better than the traditional one.

Beef Brisket Curry Lo Mien ($16)

I heard that this was an off the menu special and that I had to request it, but it was on the men this time round so I suppose they listened and upgraded it to the main menu! I’m so glad they did because I was afraid that I would not have been able to try it. I did not expect anything less than super tender when it comes to beef brisket and Patrick, and I was right. The beef actually melts in your mouth and each piece pulls away so easily from each other. The soup doesn’t not even taste as thick as it looks which was also good because we didn’t want to get full from  it too fast. The noodles had a chewier texture which complimented the softness of the beef.

So, we could not decide on which chicken to get so we got them all. Yup.

Half and Half: Ginger Ninja & Chilli Nuts ($18)

I’m so glad halfies were invented, it really makes wanting to have more than 1 choice easier. Like half pizzas! But now with half chickens! My favourite one out of the two is the KFC chilli nuts, it was juicy, tender, and sticky. It was what i was wanting to taste after looking at it. Josh and I agreed that the peanuts sprinkled on top actually made so much difference to the flavour. The ginger infused with the Ginger Ninja fried chicken was really noticeable. It added a lot of flavour to the crispy skin which then infused nicely with the meat.

Pnomh Penh Wings, lime white pepper

Every side of chicken came with a small side plate of kimchi, pickled daikon, and garlic cucumber. Really enjoyed the kimchi! Also asking anyone reading if they have tried a kimchi recipe that they really loved because I am planning to make some of my own, suggestions would be amazing. These Vietnamese inspired wings came close to being my favourite dish if it wasn’t for that amazing wonton soup. So crispy, salty, sweet, and succulent. I have no shame in just digging in with my fingers when eating chicken so I just kept popping those red chillies into my mouth every time I took a bite of the chicken which was drenched in the lime white pepper sauce. SO GOOD. So. Good.

I’m crossing fingers that this would be Patrick’s work in progress to establishing a permanent joint for these dishes because they are spectacular. Sydney needs a place like this because 1 or 10 is never enough especially if it’s this good.
In the time being, make your way down there from Monday-Friday lunch and dinner. Don’t miss out!
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Work in Progress… @patrickfreisen
50 King Street SYDNEY NSW
www.merivale.com.au/wipbar

Papi Chulo

For my 23rd birthday, I’ve decided to finally try out Papi Chulo at Manly. I have been meaning to go since they’ve opened about a year ago but have since not took my lazy ass to Manly till now. What even made this a better opportunity was the fact that their dishes were designed to be shared! Given a group of 12, we had 9 different dishes to go around. I had pre-determined the menu to cater to everyone’s needs at just $40pp, and man was that enough to give us a food coma. What else was impeccable was the service we got from the staff throughout our stay. One of my friends, who is a waitress herself, even noted their good service saying that it’s not everyday service like this comes by and I totally agree.

For starters, we had the Pea Guacamole with Tortilla Chips, Smoked Hot Wings with Comeback Sauce, and Southern Calamari!

Pea Guacamole with Tortilla Chips ($14)

Sambel Asli – Can you stand the heat?

This may have been the best pea guac I have ever had! Even the chips were crispy and a bit thicker than usual cut which gives it an extra crunch. Being the bunch of Malaysians and Singaporeans we are, we couldn’t have not helped ourselves to the Sambel Asli staring at us right on the table. Might I say that we were all throughly surprised to find this kind of chilli here at a restaurant like this! Kudos to them! I always have one sitting in my fridge. That being said, we added the sambel to our mix of the guac and chips. Heavenly!

Smoked Hot Wings with Comeback Sauce ($17)

The sambel really didn’t stop at the guac, we literally added it to everything! We looove our spice. These wings had the perfect texture of super crunchy on the outside and succulent on the inside. Cooked to perfection. Added with the comeback sauce and it brings this dish to a different level! Highly recommended.

Southern Calamari, sorrel, sour cream, bacon, crispy potato, dill ($23)

This was kind of the only seafood and more on the refreshing side of dishes that we had. The calamari was really tender and not rubbery at all. The sauce had a tang to it which really goes well with the calamari. The bacon and crispy potato lifted up the dish with saltiness and texture.

By this point, I think everyone was pretty much 1/4 of the way to Foodcomaville. It was time for the mains! This was the favourite part of the day for me, the spread was like one to belong on a Pinterest board.

Pictures do not do it justice. As the plates of food was being endlessly laid down on the table, everyone’s oohs, aahs, and omgs were coming out.

Suffolk Lamb Ribs with Papi’s BBQ Sauce ($32)

The star of the mains were close, but it had to be the ribs! I don’t know what’s in that sauce but I think it put everyone on a high for the day. The sauce was so tangy and sweet yet savoury, it was an explosion in the mouth all at once. Not to mention the tenderness of the meat and how it just effortlessly peeled out from the rib.

Roast Cauliflower, Romesco, Parmasan, Brown Butter Crumbs ($17)

I love a good cauliflower dish. Ever since Nic and I tried the one at Ester, I don’t think i’ve looked back on cauliflower dishes. This was much different than the one at Ester. Different texture and taste, but very good in it’s own way! I loved the freshness of the cauliflower and the nuttiness of the romesco sauce. Would have perfect if the cauliflower was just a little more crunchier.

On the left: Ranger’s Valley Wagyu Brisket – 300gm ($34)

I don’t know why I didn’t take a photo of the brisket, I completely blame it on the sight of everything being laid out at once. So this is the only picture I have of it taken by Nic. It’s the one to the left. It was so tender! The BBQ sauce came back again with this dish as well, we couldn’t get away from it even if we wanted to. So good. Coming in at one of the top dishes of the day as well.

Curly Fries ($9)

Literally the only carbs we had, I had to order this to compensate for the amount of protein we were having. Not that anyone of us were complaining. One of the crunchiest curly fries out there! So addictive. Again with the sambel. A+.

Lebanese chicken platter (not really), Irvin Fasr BBQ Chicken, Coriander, Tabouli, Garlic and Chilli Sauce, Soft Tortillas, Lettuce (Whole $36)

Last of the mains was the Lebanese chicken platter (not really). That’s actually what it say in the menu. HAH! Again, the chefs really hit the tender mark again. This was a really fun dish to have because we could make our own wraps if you didn’t want to have the chicken alone. Some of us even had a go at making a sort of san choy bow version with the leaves on the platter.

Special Cake ($68)

Last but not least, dessert! The guys at Papi Chulo had a mud cake specially made for the occasion. It was drizzled with fresh and frozen raspberries and some popping candy as well! When it was cut into, we started noticing some honey and honeycomb in between the layers and that was the best part of the cake. Not your typical mud cake in the sense. Even though I am not a chocolate person, definitely enjoyed this cake.

Thanks to the chefs and staff at Papi Chulo for making my *early* birthday celebration a one to remember!

It’s coincidentally going to be a weekend cooked by Patrick Friesen because look out for my post on Work in Progress coming Monday on my real birthday.

Overall rating: 8/10

Papi Chulo
22-23 Manly Wharf MANLY NSW
www.merivale.com.au/papichulo 

Goros Mary Street

Goros Mary Street entrance

Goros Mary Street interior

Now that you’ve welcomed yourself in, let me stroll you through the wonderful night I had at Goros! Tucked behind the busy Central Station surrounding on Mary St, you’ll find a newly opened Japanese bar which I had been given the opportunity to review. I was already on a roll with Japanese food for 3 days and counting, Goros wasn’t my last, but it was one to remember.

Upon entering, you’d find that the styling of the place has everything you’d want to see at a Japanese restaurant and bar, showcasing different statues and ornaments, sake bottles, loads of maneki-neko’s, and a variety of seating areas to cater to anyone. We opted to sit at the high top tables to get a good look of the surrounding but other than that, you’d be able to enjoy bar seatings, dining tables and even a Japanese dining room, fitted with their signature low tables and seats. And I liked what I saw.

 

I was greeted with friendly bar staff and taken through some drink options for the night. I was then introduced to Matso’s Mango Beer ($9) and unlike the other mango beers I’ve tried, this one was light and easy to drink like cider. The mango flavour was very well noticed and not very bitter at all. After that, sakes were introduced and I was recommended a honjozo which is more of an everyday drinking type of sake and the one we got was the Yoshinogawa ‘Gensen Karakuchi’ ($7) which possessed light, citrus, crisp, and dry nodes. Having that been my first ever sake experience, I was actually quite terrified to drink it as it resembles a cold and harsh vodka shot *no good experiences here* but after mucking up the courage, I did it, and it ended really smoothly. Much more smoothly than I’d imagined which was a pleasant surprise! Accompanied with bar snacks of seaweed and wasabi peanuts was already a perfect start to the night.

Sake (Left) and Matso’s Mango Beer (Right)

The best part of the night comes next: FOOD! I took a look at the menu which mainly consisted of shared plates and finger food with an occasional bento box special and not your typical sushi list, I thought that it’s perfect in concept with Japanese bar dining. I’d decided to choose an array of dishes, including my must haves at a Japanese joint, to get a feel of how they are in the kitchen and to no surprise that no one at our table was disappointed.

Dishes came out almost all at once to have a variety of choices. As for tonight we had the bar favourites and our must haves. First stop, seeing baos on the menu made my heart skip a beat and the Soft Shell Crab Bao ($6) was a good balance of perfectly fried soft shell crab, salad, tangy sauce and pickles to bring it together.

Soft Shell Crab Bao ($6)

Goros Karaage Chicken with Wasabi Mayo ($15) being the favourite of everyone, it’s definite a must try. Can I tell you how amazing the wasabi mayo was?! Not too overpowering with its heat so you can always get a generous amount of dip without having to worry about blowing your head off. Highly recommended.

Goros Karaage Chicken with Wasabi Mayo ($15)

Check out the glaze on that stick. It’s everything you want on a Yakitori ($12). The pork belly was cooked to its tenderness and packed with flavour.

Pork Belly Yakitori – 3 sticks ($12)

I made a disclaimer in my previous posts that I am not one for fish, so I got Josh to try it out instead and said to have the right amount of freshness you find in a plate of sashimi. Goros turns it up a bit by offering Sashimi of the Day ($20) instead of a fixed platter and salmon it was for the night!

Sashimi of the Day – Salmon ($20)

Saving the best for last, the next 2 dishes would have to be my go-to-dishes at any Japanese eatery and Goros happens to execute these dishes very well – Takoyaki ($12) and Agedashi Toufu ($14), which were generous in portions enough to satisfy all bellies at the table. The yakoyakis were perfectly cooked with it’s crunchy exterior and gooey interior with a generous portion of octopus. The agedashi toufu was served with a good amount of warmth to dig in right away and the consistency of the toufu was no doubt silky with enough of seaweed and shoyu broth to go around. I would definitely recommend these 2 dishes when you’ve decided to try this place out.

Takoyaki – octopus balls ($12)

Agedashi Toufu with Shoyu ($14)

And where else can you get a bowl of ramen after 10pm? At Goros you can! As I came during the dinning rush hour, Goros 2AM Ramen ($12) wasn’t available yet. So, drop me a message if anyone has already tried it so I can get jealous all over again because nothing says comfort food like ramen!

The experience here was nothing short of amazing. I will definitely be back for more when I get back to Sydney!

As for the next 6 weeks, I’ll be going to back to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand for the festivities and rest assured that some local deliciousness will be making an appearance here.

Overall rating: 9/10

Goros Mary St
84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills NSW