More than Congee - Comfort Foods

Congee - the word, all at once,  brings up visions of fast food, socio-economic battlers, quick but piping hot breakfasts and warmth on cool weather nights. It is an efficient creation, for hard-earned rice is boiled until it amplifies to a more voluminous mix that is soft and gentle on the palates of the very young and elderly. Ubiquitous in East Asia, but surprisingly not at all in the Indian sub-continent, the history of the congee speaks of thrift, patience, sparing conservatism and caution. The congee is a dish that also calls up creativity and economy in use of scarce ingredients - be they bits of green shallot rings, ground pepper, slivers of tender chicken or thinly cut ginger. Yet, at the same time, the congee is also food that emphasises on freshness, quality and aroma. These days the congee feels right at home whether being served at yum cha sessions, food courts or in midnight cafes. Above photo shows a set of congee-filled bowls ready for consumption, together with a lemon grass leaf infused herbal drink, light soy sauce and vinegar pickled green chili cuts.

The sar hor fun - or stir fried wide rice noodles bathed in a stock gravy and laden with fresh choy sum vegetables, fish cake squares, calamari, barbecued char siew, deshelled prawns and juicy pork cuts.   Cantonese in origin, the success of delivery and outcome for this dish depends on two critical factors - the heat of the wok used and the oomph of the stock gravy. It can be a messy dish to prepare - and as with most Asian food, require ingredients to be prepared before hand, usually cut into precise bite-sized pieces and with stocks to be made.  The choice of ingredients, like the cut of the meat and where it comes from the butchered animal, is significant. Also available with beef and chicken, but rarely with lamb, this dish evokes in me the memory of the siew yeh, or supper, ala Hong Kong and Guangzhou.  East Asians, together with South-East Asians and Mediterranean peoples, love the practice and concept of snacking before bedtime, and in Western countries, you can also see the hubs of eating, drinking and socialising beyond the midnight hour in many ethnic enclaves.  This dish, in my mind, is fondly associated with my Dad driving my brothers and me out for a treat after normally curfew hours (sleeping time!) to a roadside stall to wait for freshly cooked servings, often packed with newspaper cover and banana leaf wrapping.

Banana cake slices (picture below) in the foreground , with slices of Star apples in the background.  I find that such cakes are made with over ripe and aromatic bananas in Asia, a legacy of colonialism and East-West fusion from the 19th and 20th centuries, whilst in Australia, the bananas used are not so ripe and not so mushy. High tea implies cakes with sugar and spice, but banana cakes are more savoury than sweet. Are they better accompanied by a cup of tea, or by dunking in coffee? The penchant for habitually drinking tea became entrenched in Britain after a Portuguese princess married an English King - and coffee beans were introduced to Europe by the Arabs and Moors.  So how did bananas came to be introduced into Western concepts of flour based cakes?  It was in another continent - the USA, when the economic Depression drove ingenuity to  utilise baking soda, baking powder and bananas to create something which could be sold and for which there was a market, when money was hard to come by.  The banana cake recipe was first published in Pilsbury’s Balanced Recipes of 1933. Banana cakes (or for that matter, banana bread, when cooked in a loaf tin) do exude a warm feeling of welcome and warmth when coming home to.  Banana cakes also remind me of school fetes and sports functions. 

Chefs Gallery, Metcentre, Wynyard - Sydney CBD

Fresh, transparent and so Shanghai - from the origins of Din Tai Fung at World Square and the open kitchen concept at the Bathurst Street/ George Street outlet, this business model has now been transplanted to an area with heavy commuter traffic in Sydney  CBD - the MetCentre, which adjoins the busy Wynyard Station.  So I reckon the staff has to work even more faster and be more responsive in a location that has office workers, tourists and families coming out of the train system.  At lunchtime, I have already witnessed queues reminiscent of Mamak's in Sydney's Chinatown and Chatswood.

The food is now familiar to the Sydney market - steamed dumplings, noodles in soup, spring rolls, relatively dainty servings served on small plates and petite bamboo baskets.  The menu can be seen as a combination of yum cha, Shanghai snacks and drinks based on soy and the usual mainstream Aussie soft drinks.  What makes this business work? Fast turnover, practical pricing and  not too confronting food for lunchers and brunchers who do not have too much time to squander.  Here they can have some hot food, as opposed to cold servings of sushi and sashimi ion Japanese take aways. Also open for breakfast, the early morning service has to be touch and go, pick up and take away!

My Chefs Gallery has thrived on food sets, bento styled lunches and tasting variety. Here at the MetCentre, the trend continues.  Open only on weekdays, I reckon this latest joint comes heels on the experience at the food court located on level 5 in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall Westfield.  With more selections available than the latter, this MetCentre is also a first for KaiSern Ching at the northern end of the city centre.  It also offers more accessibility of this type of cuisine to the banking district. This follows the opening of Mr Wong's  in a trendy alley site last year.

Will he cross over the Harbour and Anzac Bridges to the Asian populated suburbs in the  future?

The Fringe Cafe & Restuarant, Newtown - inner Sydney

A lazy Sunday morning in May - and one that was particularly hard to jump out of bed! There are clumps of cafes already open near the Dendy Cinema and the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts along the main thorough fare of King Street in Sydney's answer to Melbourne's Chapel Street - Newtown, accessible by both train and bus, down the road from Sydney University and a hub for a smooth and easy weekend start. Weather was rather perfect for the month of May - so far - and people like me were crawling out of the woodwork of a late Saturday night.

So we needed a wake me up call - and we found this in a corner cafe at the junction of Egan and King Streets.  We were initially attracted to the mural graffitis along Egan, but I have always walked past the Fringe and wanted to check it out. Service was quick and informal. Seated near the kitchen may have got the food out fast but the young staff approached in a friendly manner. You could choose between bar styled benches inside or on or usual cafe tables inside or outside. I noted the distinct use of red in the decor, and I shall refer this cafe to as the Red Fringe in my own mind. Its long side is a bonus in my reckoning, offering more perspectives and better utilitarian options for guests in a rather crowded Newtown landscape.

Once again, the eggs stood out, especially my choice of scrambled. The coffee blend was on the strong side, not over milky and an oomph in taste. The Fringe is also a great place to watch the world pass by - and in this context, the parade of locals, day trippers, mates and shoppers.  The morning menu at the Fringe is not over done and in my eyes just right, to fit their key markets of brunch, twenty somethings and a place to frequent for a resident. We did not feel rushed nor did we get bored. We could reply to sms texts from our mobiles, we could chat of the lazy things in life and we could catch  up with friends.  The ambiance is not rustic nor bohemian, it was just contemporary and clean. Having said this, the Fringe is also known for its grills in steaks and seafood at night.

Reflections 24

24 years in Australia and what this has taught me.

1. There can be empowerment in all this relative silence and remoteness. The genesis for an idea can arise when there is no artificial distraction.  When some parts of the world buckle under congestion and pollution, never under estimate the uniqueness and advantage of relatively untainted spaces and capabilities. Always look for the differentiators and delights that the rest of the world hunger for.

2. What has not been used or encountered at all in one whole year does say some thing. It means either you never needed them, or that you have not been active enough to appreciate and utilise them.

3. What I have been paying for all this time? Expensive prices when compared to nations with larger populations? Late arrival of the latest product designs or the trendy movies or shows? Are big businesses milking us extra as Australian consumers just because they can?  Is it because we have pricey costs to dish out in running a business here? The high Australian dollar in recent years, greater overseas travel and more confidence in on line purchases has made most Australians break free of such constraints.

4. The more things change, the more they remain the same.  I look around and at times continue to experience deja vu, the fact that I have seen it all before.  To commence meaningful changes, we look at ourselves in the mirror and take it from there to act and not just reflect.  There is cause and reason on most occasions.  There are individuals who take advantage for themselves, yet there are others who seize upon the advantage to help others. The eternal things that remain the same are inflation and gradual physical breakdown - prepare for these.  So is sunrise at the beach, a child's laughter and a family feel.

5. Practice and routine does make it easier.  Add another layer - timeliness in making decisions and doing things bring us to another dimension.  At every age, give yourself time to face and make the hard decisions.

6. The more you give, the more you receive.  The less you expect, the more happy you can be. Raise a puppy and spend time with people older and younger than your generation. Encourage and be encouraged in return, You liberate yourself from one of the chains of the human condition.  Sharing the joy is more important than to be trapped in delusional self-importance, evidence of which can be seen in some people who do not realise this condition themselves as they continue to chase the smoke and mirrors of self-gratification.

7. Stepping out and embracing change is marvellous.  Allow yourself occasionally to be surprised. That is what life is all about.  Think of Nature and the seasons. Think of ourselves as shedding skin and allowing a better inside to breathe.  Each of us is capable of being positively more than we ever know.

8. At times, I am not sure what to be convinced of anymore - especially from an overload of all types of media, trends and information.  Be strong and have your own personal values.  Remember to smile no matter what.

9. This has been a fortunate country.  However,  I lament the loss of the sense of giving to be replaced by what society calls the sense of entitlement.

10. Travel nurtures the mind and heart.  Its worth may dribble and dilute through the years, but there is always an inner core of satisfaction and inspiration that it holds in our hearts.

11. Everyone of us does get into a rut - the trick is to recognise it first and then do something about it.
Rut comes in many forms, can be caused by no logical reason or person but in the end, only you can move on from rut to growth.  When you rise above the water, make a point to celebrate.

12.  If the first stop does not measure up, try another place.  You owe no loyalty to people who do not commit to you.  Such negativity are not worth considering anyway.  In the end, they fade into our timeline like some fuzzy train on a foggy night.

13.  Pay attention to detail.

14.  Review, revise and reflect, but take action accordingly.

15. Sometimes, just make a stand.  You may have to do so in an unexpected moment or in reaction to a long brewing scenario. Take care of yourself first before you can then effectively help others.

16. It is important as to how and when we pick ourselves up when some people throw stones at us.

17. Do something for others, no matter how small, when they least expect it - and do not expect anything yourself.

18. Grow as many flowering beds as you can. Plant as many seeds as you can, even if you know some will not germinate. Some day later, especially when you have forgotten about them, you delight in the fruits of such effort.

19. Recognise part of yourself in an apparent stranger.  Put yourself in the shoes of the trodden, the bored and the oppressed.  They do and shall rise one day in stature, motivation and influence, if only to start a family, but also if they contribute to your community and your values.

20. Enjoy the moment.  Nothing else matters, as it soon becomes the past and the future is just a concept.

21. Savour the outdoors and its freedom.

22. Take comfort in your own personal anchor, as life is navigating yourself - and those you love - through a journey.

23. Make a difference - and be a difference that is refreshingly welcome.

24.  Real friendship never goes away.

Char Koay Teow

From the streets of Fujian and then to Penang Island and the world - the char koay teow (stir fried rice noodles).


This iconic dish must be stir fried hot and piping before being served - and consumed immediately, for the full effect of flavour and bite.  Unlike those cooked noodles that are prepared hours before and sit in warmed up containers, the char koay teow is a personalised concept - and you can decide what you wish to drop off as ingredients and add as other options. The purist dictates that there must be slices of Cantonese sausages, fresh chives, bean sprouts, a good chili condiment, eggs, garlic, cockles off their shells and fresh prawns. Practicality allows some modification, but essential sauces - soy sauce  in both light and dark versions - are non-negotiable.  Away from Malaysia and Singapore, cockles are usually absent.

Along the streets and in food courts back in south-east Asia, this dish only costs around a tenth of what is whacked to eager beavers in Australian joints.  This could be  a misstatement due to differing costs of living and the quality of ingredients. Still the dish is not deemed kosher in many circles, due to the  use of pork lard when first frying and if added with the lap cheong or Cantonese sausages. The selection of flat rice noodles can be critical as well, for one does not want such noodles to get sticky on the hot wok - and some such shelf produce do.

The right heat level of the cooking oil is vitally ensured before the garlic, pork fat bits and chili paste are simmered to provide the aroma in the very first place.  Rice noodles are separated in looser strands before they can be thrown on to the cauldron.




Why does this dish taste better when sourced from different outlets? Is it because of the way the chef handles the wok and stir, as the cooking heat then affects the bouncing noodles and condiments in a special manner?  Maybe the speed and savvy of the cook when stir frying the noodles can be important. At times, I also reckon it is the pan roasted chili paste that significantly plays a role, for even if we do not want any of this garnish, this dish does taste better with at least a hint of it.  Garlic, sugar, pounded chili paste and dried shrimp paste are mixed in essential proportions to enhance aroma and kick.   There are also many ingredients to prepare before any wok is used. The portion of ingredients for one plate serve is not much, but they must be sorted, sliced and cut in a particular way to provide maximum play and you must never run out of eggs. Like scrambled eggs, the way one throws in the egg contents can be decisive. Fresh eggs are cracked off their shells over the hot wok and then contribute to the final outcome of this dish.  One can never try to stir fry too much in one go.

The ingredients are purposefully prepared in sliced and small versions, so as to absorb the full flavours and make them mouth biting with a texture.


To Penangites and most hailing from Malaysia, char koay teow is comfort food.  Its cousins may be pad thai or south Indian styled fried Hokkien noodles, but they are not the same.  To baby boomers and Gen Y alike, they still form the stuff of roadside suppers on balmy late nights in the home country. I know that this dish is cooked on the streets of Georgetown and somehow get packaged up for the drive to Kuala Lumpur or on a flight to Singapore or Hong Kong.  Such gestures would be met by sniffer cute dogs on arrival at any Australian airport.
Such obsession with food - and casualness of carrying them as airline hand luggage - just lets fly in the face of Australian and New Zealand restrictions on bringing food into their territories.

Back on Penang Island, I do head straight to Ah Leng's along Dato Keramat Road in Georgetown.  In Sydney city centre, the Sayong Curry House at Woolworths Town Hall basement food court and Ipoh on York both have decent versions of this dish.  The best servings of this food item can  be found in many home kitchens I reckon dotted across where the Malaysian Chinese and Singaporean diaspora now are scatted throughout the world.

At All & Sundry, Woonona - Wollongong Coast NSW

The main counter.

Shane alerted me on SMS about this newly opened cafe one Saturday morning (the first one of May) when Scott and I were at Diggies, North Gong Beach for an early brunch.  On my way up to the north-western suburbs of Sydney , I reckoned I should give it  a try in the early afternoon. Initially I could not find the place, but the Woonona newsagent opposite Macker's had a friendly chap at the counter who knew about this cafe.

So as the clouds gathered above the Illawarra, and when the winds whipped up, I hurriedly went down slope along the Princes Highway and spotted a lane beside a butcher's, as advised.  And there it was.  All & Sundry. My first impressions were that it was so Melbourne and yet so Sutherland Shire.  Next opportunity it may be better to park the car in a parking area just outside the cafe but away from the main road.

At late lunch hour on a Saturday, there were several people seated at tables or waiting for their takeaways.  The pace felt casual, people seemed to have time as it was the start of a weekend and there seemed to be limited seating both inside and outside. It was a hotch-potch of various ages, ranging from the twenty somethings to older couples.  The place looked relatively bright inside with framed pictures on one wall, adjacent to an anime looking female character dominating the view as one stepped in.

I just wanted a quick cuppa. Apart from the ubiquitous espresso, I noticed that filter, pour over and aero press variations are also available. All & Sundry is not open at this stage on Sundays and  Mondays, but available from business on other days other days from  8am.  No dinner menus at this stage.  I chose to sit down and had a cup and saucer version of a standard milky order.

A limited indoor seating area.

My mate Shane, whom I understand earlier that day, chose takeaway whilst accompanied by his girls and a friend's five year old daughter.  He was not impressed with the takeaway cups, the last of which he had seen used in Sutherland's Left Bower. They had to wait twenty minutes - I am not sure what muffins they also selected, but the five year old found them  stale and told Shane.  I have suggested to Shane to go back with him and sample their other food servings.

Espresso options include the Guatemala "la perla"  (with maple syrup, hazelnuts, butter washed bourbon and orange mixes); the El Salvador "el Borbollon" (soft acidity washed Bourbon, sweet caramel and honey blend); and the Human Cannonball (the staple used by All & Sundry for milk coffees served there and a Brazilian sourced roast from Golden Cobra). The barista attending to me dressed in a casual trendiness and brought me the coffee in the photo below.  It was not a busy time and he had a smiling disposition.

Interesting use of retro saucers and cups.

Food choices on the current menu are eclectic and you can  have healthy wholegrain porridge (graced with poached nectarine and rhubarb) for breakfast, in contrast to a braised lamb shoulder ( accompanied by rocket, goat's fetta cheese and romesco) for lunch time.  Quick snacks include the Otway ham baguette (with Maffra cheddar and Stewie's own tomato relish) and a in-house granola with poached pear, prune and vanilla.

Kid friendly

There is wide variety of tea choices.  I find captivating the "Heal" mixture based on Calendula flower petals, fennel seeds, lemongrass, ginger and mint.  Several varieties are familiar to those with Asian backgrounds - the White Peony from southern China; Good Morning, a composite of blends from Yunnan, Assam and Sri Lanka; Masala Chai; and the Cloud and Mist, a savoury green tea from Jiangxi Province in China.  I found my coffee of an unusual flavour but need to return to provide a view.

A customer leaves by bicycle - the view outside the cafe.

Ipoh on York - Sydney CBD

The ice grinder

Jimmy is an affable person who hailed from Ipoh and now runs two restaurants in Sydney CBD through his two sons. His outlet at World Square is smaller than his York Street joint, located between the Grace Hotel and the Queen Victoria Building. Ipoh on York is located in a large basement level and one navigates the stairs to reach the order counter, which looks more like a ticketing office in previous reincarnations than one offering the spectrum of street food from south-east Asia, particularly the Malaysian Peninsular.  Ipoh itself denotes definitive good food, specifically of Chinese origin - dishes like Ipoh hor fun are held in high esteem.

Andre and I ducked in to this larger of Jimmy's joints one working lunchtime.  The place becomes chock-a-block with customers significantly from 1215pm onwards. Whilst waiting for Andre, I chatted up a Welsh chap having a stint in Sydney and who had got addicted to what Jimmy had  to offer in food. Apparently he is such a regular that the female staff all know him by name and recognition, asking him if he is coming back tomorrow. Most of the tables at Ipoh on York are small two seaters but do reflect a segment of the Asian population working around the Wynyard and Town Hall precincts of Sydney CBD.

The place is open for half a day on Saturdays.  In the Asian demographic, this can be a venue for catching up with mates from the old country without making an appointment. I understand that networking groups do gather at this venue and not just to enjoy the food.

Various elements for making coffee,  iced concoctions and drinks.



On this occasion I had the ever reliable  char koay teow.   I recall coming together with Shane one early morning, having survived the train commute, to sample the kaya toast and Malaysian coffee combination for breakfast a couple of  months back.  Shane found the condensed milk used for the beverage was rather sweet and I found the servings of toast under sized.  I reckon it may be worth trying the unique drink concoctions  for lunchtime if you have not tried them before.   They range from fruit based mixes to soya choices. What goes well with Malaysian street food is beer but of course, Ipoh on York is not licensed.  However, there is the usual menu of food familiar to anyone who has been to Malaysia - curry laksa, nasi lemak, Hainan chicken rice and so forth.

Ais Kacang (lower pix) - the hot weather cooler so commonly available in Malaysian and Singaporean food courts and streets.  Photo above - the char koay teow, worth trying and served on a miniature wok.

Il Buon Gusto, Picton Mall - Greater Sydney

Opened only a few months ago, Gusto is located on the right hand side as one enters the Picton Mall in south-western portion of the greater Sydney area. The mall itself is compact, with several retailers,the inevitable supermarket (Coles), a rather fancy butcher (which stands out with its produce and variety of offerings, especially various types of beef and pork sausages) and a coffee place. Occasionally, someone rents out a spot in the spacious lobby and offers products like accessories and handicrafts.
Down towards the main road and vehicle parking spaces is a rather delightful IGA, particularly for those who shun the bigger grocery players.

Picton is more of a place you live in rather than anything else. Visitors may pass by on their way somewhere, or regulars may stream in from their bush hideaways and lifestyle abodes. Residents in this corner of so-called Sydney may be more attracted to MacArthur Square and the urban hub of Campbelltown rather than congregate here. To get to Picton however is rather accessible, 40 minutes from the Wollongong Coast, an hour from Mittagong perhaps and okay to pop over from Liverpool further north.  It is also reachable by train if you have the time and you are duly rewarded by an interesting retro dining place inside a sandstone building once you go past the rail turnstiles.

So I was curious about Gusto. With only a lunchtime opportunity, I had sampled their fettucine gambari on a previous occasion, bought takeaway latte from them and hence wanted to try more. The owner said they make their own cannanoli and chocolate cheesecake - but I was eyeing the macarons, cake slices, friands and other sweet stuff in the covered shelf cabinet.  The kitchen was hidden to one side of the venue and there are seats for four on raised platforms, apart from the usual free standing tables inside and outside.

For a quick session, I decided this time on a breakfast item, the egg Provencal. Pictured above, I had a choice of ham or proscuitto, with a sprig of greens with eggs over a sourdough.  It was a nippy Tuesday but I was glad there were more people lunching than during my last visit.  The foodie scene is perhaps more tucked away on the side of Picton away from this mall.  Staff are easy going at Gusto and there seems to be an easy pace about it.

My Selection Cafe, Hunter Connection - Wynyard, Sydney CBD

Fresh coconut and vinegar-chili infused dipping sauce.

Kim beams with a welcoming smile every time she approaches customers.  I notice the ingredients used are fresh and the cafe interior has a modern and clean feel and look about it. The cafe's location may not be easy to locate, but any one who transverses the Sydney CBD tunnel between Wynyard rail station and the Hunter Connection arcade and food court would have definitely and inevitably walked past, if not come in for a tucker.  The place is located opposite a watch repairer and jeweller outlet and there is a carvery nearby from the Wynyard station side.

I had not known that Kim prepares homemade, iced preserved  kumquat and pickled lemon drinks.  These items are however subject to seasonal availability and the time it requires to make a good pickle.
I had asked for a kumquat pickled iced drink, even so late into the Sydney autumn and the wait staff lad was kind enough to let Kim know.  Kim came in an instant to have a chat about these drink items - this set the tone for the care and attention My Selection cafe devotes to its food, business and customers.

My own choice that quick lunchtime - the crispy chicken was bony but the tomato flavoured rice was good. I love crunching into such bony stuff anyway.  I had fresh coconut juice with slices of the whites
( young coconut flesh).  Delivery of your order was fast, especially for the office worker demographic.

Attention to details - flavour and texture of the tomato flavoured rice, plus presentation and aroma of the crispy skin chicken with a pinch of crunchy salad.

Next opportunity, I plan to have a breakfast snack of the egg and bacon muffin (at AUD 3.50)
and also try out the  char siu bao (steamed savoury pork bun) otherwise only found at yumcha sittings or buy frozen from your nearest Asian grocery.  Also available are the following that caught my eye -
congee (with thin pork slices and bits of century old egg or chicken and ginger slices);  Vietnamese iced coffee; and the "All Ham on Deck" scrambled eggs with potato, capsicum and onion slices.
Other items in the menu are the piping hot beef based pho noodle soups; broken rice lunch choices; sandwiches; shrimp fried noodles; Turkish breads and French rolls.  Interesting enough, you may consider the Hungarian beef goulash on a cold wintry day in Sydney city.