Hawker, Sydney - Penang Street Food

My best nominated dish - the tamarind laksa - so far as Hawker enters its third week of offering Penang street food to the public.

Michaeline had mentioned to me about this much awaited place - and before Christmas this year, it was all revealed. I like the location, not far with a short walk up from Darling Harbour and down from World Square in Sydney CBD.  The mostly young staff are friendly and seemingly well trained.  The menu is not overly crowded, making sense to non-Asians with a common sense classification of snacks, drinks, noodles, desserts and breads.  Apparently representing the best of Penang street food, what stands out in the Hawker menu are the ban chien kueh in Fujian dialect (here referred to as the apom balik in the menu), plus the banana  or durian filled batter options. The former is a light pancake served with flavoursome peanuts and butter inside the wrap, temptingly cooked in individual burners transparently to the walk in guests. What a marketing genius!  The owners of Hawker I reckon have already achieved a coup in the Australian market by the flapping of roti canai being prepared thorough glass visible to passer-bys in their Mamaks outlets for a few years now.  Now they have transplanted this visual delight of openness in preparing their pancakes. No deep fried ice cream here, it is a Singapore thing originally when Asian cooks thought up of pleasing their British colonial masters in the last century. Instead we have the goreng pisang (deep fried  banana batter) and the goreng durian  (the latter being a rather recent concept and not easily found on the streets of Georgetown Penang itself).

Hawker just before opening at 1130am on a holiday weekend.

A Fujian classic, the thin wrap snack (Poh Pniah) can be healthy, light on the palate and finger sized biting good.

On my first visit to Hawker, I was impressed by the quality of the tamarind laksa, particularly in the richness of the all critical soup, the abundance of fish in the gravy and in the variety of authentic garnishing (Spanish onions, julienned cucumber and fresh mint leaves). The all important fish shrimp paste brought me back true memories growing up in Penang ( The Hay Koh in Fujian dialect).  On the contrary, what was a bit short was in the serving of Poh Pniah that day, specifically with out a light gravy accompanying the version back in Georgetown (think of the version found at the Padang Brown food stalls).  The Poh Pniah at Hawker therefore tended to be on the dry side, although I give thumbs up to the quality of the freshly prepared skin.  There was perhaps too much smashed yellow bean curd and a missing ingredient in the wrap was finely simmered pork bits.

The deep fried lobak - essentially pork cubes marinated with five spice powder, then wrapped in soy skin, offering crunchiness, texture and flavour.  Here served with sides of battered yam and dried shrimp. A street food classic in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

Janice loved the chicken curry laksa - and she is an expert in this dish.   I could sense the rising aroma from her laksa bowl.  There was no overload of coconut milk as may be found in some other places.   The tau hoo pork (soya bean based ) stood up attractively in her bowl.   I informally asked a young man sitting next to our table how his serving of prawn noodles (Har mee) went with him, as I saw many around  me choosing that dish.  He was not too impressed though, saying it was just okay.  I was eyeing the wanton noodles (dry serve, soy mixed and with separate soup) and that will have to wait next time.  We avoided the cholesterol contributors of or chien ( mussels in omelette) until we could find a larger group to share this dish.  The test for Hawker perhaps can come down to the quality of the char koay teow, Penang's iconic street food icon.

There are many variations of chicken curry laksa in Australian capital cities.  The Hawker version is more clean cut and this is on my list already on a next visit.

The drinks list at Hawker, December 2014 - Cham means mix, Ping means served with ice and the mouthful of "Kat Chai Suen Mui" is Cantonese for " Kumquat Pickled Sour Plum". A summery preference is barley, definitely cooling for the inner body and I just wonder why there is no Teh Tarik, otherwise available at Mamak's (Chatswood, Melbourne and Sydney)

Peering through the window whilst lining up before opening times - 1130am and 530pm each day.

The feel of the place is spacious when compared to Mamak's.  The young man attending to payment at the counter asked how did everything go, a sign of welcoming feedback.  The washrooms are clean.   It is a suitable place to bring in mates or the clan to dabble in key Penang street food dishes without doing a stall crawl or between shopping or before attending a concert.  Black coloured chopsticks are provided with serviettes, reducing clutter on the small tables. I noticed condiments are not encouraged like in Thai cafes, but home styled prepared sambal and chili sides come along with certain dishes.  There is a choice of non-spicy dishes (like the Wat tan hor fan, or egg gooey wok stirred rice noodles) apart from the expected south-east Asian spiciness - but no mee goreng, roti canal or rendang curry.  On balance, I reckon an ex-Penangfite would feel at home here!

Cafe Opera, Intercontinental Sydney

A selection to complete a rather good afternoon.

High ceilings. Sandstone contrasting with raw red brick walls. Spacious corridors. Perhaps the best seating is in the balconies overlooking the inner sanctum.  In this modern age of glass, electronics and density, it is rewarding to be able to relax in hallowed surroundings being with crowds but not feeling hemmed in. My group of five were fortunate to obtain a reserved table outside the cafe proper, which was chock a block with guests also here for the Sunday Christmas lunch, held  but only once a year in December.   We were greeted with sparkling wine, generously topped up throughout our meal.  A hint of festivity decorated our table, where we could pull Christmas pops, wear season hats and just literally relax. No ala carte selections today, we went with the flow of Christmas goodies, with under currents of a French end of year theme, especially for dessert, but also with good old Aussie seafood offerings like fresh prawns, quality salmon cuts and lots of preserves, nuts and healthy salads.


The Cafe Opera is located upstairs from the rather compact lobby of the Intercontinental Sydney, located at the Bridge end of Macquarie Street, all within walking distance of the NSW State Parliament, NSW Art Gallery, Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House.  It is sited on the top end of town so to speak and makes most of the old State Treasury Building.  The staff attending to us that day were delightful, quick on the foot and friendly.  They happily offered alternatives of juice or soft drinks if you have to drive after the meal.  Guests are orderly, patient and quiet in waiting for their food in the queues.  The food bars are daintily decorated and suggest an Euro atmosphere, especially with the biscuits, pastries and cakes at the end of the ambient buffet.

I normally try to skip mains in a whole some buffet, but this time I found the Christmas ham and roast turkey irresistible - the cloves were still in my slices of ham and the accompanying gravy lifted the meats further.  The choice of cooked food may not be as varied as in the Sheraton by Hyde Park, but they had gems like delicately grilled barramundi and butter chicken curry.  I saw the rather chunky dim sims ( really steamed buns and pork/prawn siew mai) and did not have the heart to mention to the staff that Cantonese yum cha is really meant for petite snacks of bite size and not to be served in such huge proportions.  Dim sim literally means " touch of the heart" and not a flagging of monster sized grabs.


That little disappointment was soon wiped out by the variety of entrees, starting with Japanese sashimi, sushi and lobster bisque.  The latter was rather gratifying, flavourful, thick and with toasty croutons.  And I did revel in my dessert choices, rather up to expectations and with really too much to choose and take it all in. May be I did miss Italian, Spanish or Middle Eastern dishes but that would have been over the top. We were placed where we could hold a conversation, where the background noise was in another room, where it was reading to catch up with family and friends.  Then it was off to view the David Jones Christmas displays, the Martin Place Christmas tree and the QVB window shopping. I would recommend the Cafe Opera also on quieter months.

Snacks and Bites Australia part 2

Wholesome big breakfast at Cosy Cafe, Unanderra NSW

Portuguese themed home gathering - Balgownie

Spaghetti Marinara at Shellharbour Stockland shopping centre

A great way to start the day - besides the beautiful glass mugs - at Connie's, North Wollongong NSW

Breakfast with the Sakumas - Devon Cafe, Surry Hills Sydney

Roast lamb shanks with potatoes - Costa Azzura Italian, Fairy Meadow NSW.

Roast duck ala Guangzhou with braised mushrooms.

Snacks and Bites - Australia Today

Cantina Dog - Cantina Central Hotel Shellharbour NSW

My favourite yogurt - various flavours from Dairy Farmers

Veg and fruit juicing - fete at Macquarie Park, North Ryde NSW

Eggs Florentine with salmon and avocado - Point Cafe, Bulli NSW

Fish stock based soup in ramen from Ryo's in Crows Nest, north shore Sydney

Perhaps a balanced breakfast - bacon, poached egg, tomato, avocado and cut fruits, from Connie's Cafe, North Wollongong NSW

Spicy arrowroot noodles with garnishing, pork slices and egg - Jonga Jip, Eastwood NSW

Cempita pulled pork on a roll with cabbage - Dagwood, Wollongong NSW

Musing over a brioche roll for a weekend breakky

Beer battered fish and chips with gherkins - Diggies North Wollongong Beach NSW

Soy sauced pork with a Pimms cocktail

Crispy fried chicken with fried egg over tomato flavoured rice, accompanied by a vinegar based dipping sauce - very popular in Vietnamese restaurants and cafes dotted across Australian capital  cities

Fresh from the oven -  French inspired croissants from Orto Trading Co. , Surry Hills, Sydney

Quick fix noodles of curry mee

Sourdough with a twist Spanish style - Bill & James Cafe, Balgownie NSW

Crown Street Markets - Wollongong NSW

A violinist concentrates on play along the mall that hosts the markets every Friday.

Cured meats in a variety of forms and unique tastes underlying the Euro tradition.

The breeze blows in from the ocean, making it comfy for market visitors to browse preserves, cheeses, clothes, handicrafts, plants, fruits, vegetables and meat offerings.  Up the top end of Crown Street Mall is the recently opened shopping centre along Keira Street.

Produce from farms for the kitchen and stove.  Both Myer and David Jones department stores are located nearby, in addition to my fav cafes His Boy Elroy, Lee & Me, Lower Crown Eat and the Three Chimneys.

An Anglican church with sandstone and all awaits visitors in the mall and is open during market time.

Bandstand near the mall, with the beaches all within walking distance.

Yum Cha Time - Selected Dishes

Roast duck cutlets served with sliced cucumber.

Ducks are essentially wet creatures and love their water.  They can exude a gamey aroma so preparation of duck cuisine emphasises on two critical requirements - the well skilled drying of there duck with wintery winds if possible and applying the right marinade that enhances the taste and texture of the meat beneath a crispy skin.  Haha, Confucious is often ascribed in Western circles to have said about the fruitlessness of a peasant waiting for a roast duck to fly into his mouth.  Effort, aspiration, skill and patience are all required in the processing of a raw duck to one served at your local Chinese restaurant. The Hong Kong version is not the same as the Beijing, German, French or Sichuan version. In most yum cha places, the Guangzhou tradition rules - honey and rice vinegar are rubbed into the duck and left overnight.  Stuffing inside conquests of items like castor sugar, hoisin sauce, chopped fresh ginger, fresh chopped spring onions, five spice powder, oil and yellow bean paste, albeit in small amounts.  The duck has to be thoroughly cleaned.  I prefer duck in wraps or as cooked in Thai curry, do realise its potential oiliness but I readily choose a duck confit in an Italian or French restaurant.

An array of yum cha favourites, clockwise from 11 o'clock - braised phoenix claws (chicken feet); steamed siew mai; mango pudding; and steamed bean paste buns.

There are the usual standards in any yum cha gathering but what I look forward to are the baked char siew so buns, wok stir fried mussels, steamed pork rib cuts, prawn filled cheong fun, mango spewing pancakes, siew long pau (dumplings with soup filled insides), deep fried wantons, custard egg tarts, scallop dumplings and roast pork belly slices.   I have a penchant for the savoury instead of sweet in such fare.  What kind of tea blends are available these days at a typical restaurant for the commonly shared table pot?  Perhaps Pu-erh and Oolong are worth trying, but I also like the Japanese rice tea.

Deep fried delicacies - the wu kok or yam cake (top) with the prawn ball (bottom).

My Euro mates love the sweet and sour prawns, char siew so buns, deep fried calamari, stir fried Singapore  noodles, beef, deep fried ice cream and deep fried wantons.  Acquired tastes can include durian pancakes, phoenix claws (braised chicken feet), taro cakes and piping hot congee.

Yum cha sessions are meant to be leisurely, for business to be discussed, for families to catch up or for good mates to have a relaxing arvo.  The crowdedness and noise at most such places do detract from the original purpose.  Originally such food is downed with hot piping tea, but globalisation  of this cuisine means also the serving of beer and wine to accompany them.   Despite digital billing, most outlets around the world stick to the time honoured invoicing system of having a waitress stamp manually against your table bill. Does one just accept the offerings from passing trolleys, or are guests brave enough to request their favourite item which may not be even on the official menu?
Any yum cha eater senses the protocol of the place to have as much turnover of the tables in any one session.  It is better to have prolonged intimate conversations at a coffee place - as you walk out after your meal, you do notice the waiting hordes and queues.

Congee with century old egg slices, chicken pieces and garnish of shallots, pepper and julienne ginger.

All photo credits to Ms SK Teoh.  Images captured at the Golden Phoenix Restaurant, Equatorial Hotel Penang Island.

Brendan Dewar Patisserre - St Ives, Sydney

The Opera Gateau sits beside another temptation.

A gem of a bakery and patisserie, hidden away upstairs at the St Ives village shopping precinct.
I can sense French, yet still Australian  - I am perhaps confused.  The macaroons are to die for, especially when Brendan has salted caramel - my weakness, joy and favourite!  And there are those savoury pies, on top of the delectable creations in sweet and for teatime!  I cannot plead for lack of choice here, the question is how to be moderate on my part in my selection.

Brendan's extensive experience and creativity shows through in his displays and diversity of what he offers at this upper North Shore location in suburban Sydney.  And don't ignore the birthday and wedding cakes.  For a quick visit, I suggest the mango tart, macadamia friand, macaroons and watermelon panna cotta.  Brendan provides a very European feel -it can be a pleasure just to observe the goings on of what his clients select on a  weekend arvo.

The Ju Ju stands out.  Creme caramel is served in a tin, with the Mango Creamux - great for the warm weather - a work of love and style.   Kids will be fascinated with the presentation of the chocolate banana split, served in a round glass container with chic balls.  I long for the pistachio butter cookies to savour on my next visit.  For savoury, I noticed the pumpkin and feta frittata, a country themed bite reflecting Mediterranean inspiration.  (There is also pumpkin and ham fritatta) And what flavour macaroon should I choose, if I am only allowed one - definitely the blackcurrant!

Brendan Dewar Patisserie is located at 119/166 Mona Vale Road at the St Ives Village Shopping Centre.
What transfixes me positively about this place - friendly service, variety of fare and special creations.
What to overcome - can the shopping metre provide more parking spaces, especially needed for weekends?
Overall this is a patisserie that stands out and worth checking out, for I shall return.

Green Peppercorn - Fairfield Hotel Sydney

The Tom Yum Kung, with a rich taste and good flavour.

Northern Thai and Laotian restaurants offer a cuisine which can be refreshingly different from Bangkok or southern Thai dishes.  There can be the conspicuous absence or less use of coconut milk and more emphasis on charcoal grilled meats.  What captivated me is also their rendition of deep fried battered ice cream, in this case at the Green Peppercorn, served with a garnish of coconut muesli, raisin and butterscotch sauce.  I reckon the batter they utilise is much better in texture and flavour than those from Singapore or Chinese restaurants. The Green Peppercorn in Fairfield opened in July 2012 - it is family run, can seat around 150 guests, has parking street side on  both sides of the hotel and avoids a capital city feel of congestion.

Chicken with dipping sauce and a rather outstanding bite below the skin

Green Peppercorn at the Fairfield Hotel is modern, brash and with a spacious outlook.  I love the bird cages hanging over one part of the dining room, albeit sans the singing birds.  Fairfield is a working class suburb with a huge IndoChinese and Arab demographic, but also thriving with dynamic small businesses that has a Council overlooking the nearby Cabramatta and Canley Heights areas.   The Fairfield Hotel is small and looks like they gave up the original Aussie pub space to this restaurant.  The Green Peppercorn does not accept reservation bookings unless you have larger number of diners in your group.  My group of four lunchers were served by a smiling Polynesian lady, although I could see the Thai boys and girls also working there.  At our neighbouring table, we had a most engaging infant of not more than 6 months old, Jerome, whose smiling manner and big eyes captivated everyone.  We had a causal chat with Jerome's parents and they had been to Georgetown Penang - they must be experienced travellers and the Mum mentioned char koay teow she sampled whilst they were in Penang!

Just before the crowds swarmed in for Saturday lunch!

The banana flower salad was unusual but I appreciated the cashew nuts mixed in the dish.  The deep fried snapper had a generous serving of yummy sliced mango salad accompanying the dish and this was good to eat.   My top choice for that that Saturday meal was the charcoal grilled belly pork cuts provided on a bed of wok stir fried kangkong - a wonderful  balance of both veg and meat on the same plate! The tom yam prawns stood out in flavourful intensity, although I found them a tad bit salty that day as well.  The charcoal grilled chicken was tender and moist under the skin, a most uneasy feat!   We noticed a table having glutinous rice steamed in traditional weave miniature baskets, exotic and eye catching.   We had steamed ordinary rice to accompany the dines of savoury and spicy tones.  We dropped out intentions over ordering the sausages - there are both different Northern Thai and Laotian ones - as we were already having a rather huge and diverse meal.

I loved the mango salad more than the fish.

The menu has many choices, ranging from standards like paw paw salads, marinated beef cuts, roast duck red curry, soft shell crab, stir fried noodles, Panang curries, fried rice variations and beef salads to rarer stuff like tom zap soup, cured pork, betel leaf (Miang Kum), charcoal barbecues ox tongue, raw salmon salads and marinated quails.  I already eyed the crab meat fried rice and the green chill and basil flavoured mussels for a future visit!  The Green Peppercorn is also keen on function gatherings and have banquet menus to cater for such occasions.  And for those who may wonder, yes there is connection between the Green Peppercorn and Holy Basil of Canley Heights - Tony!

What I highly recommend - charcoal grilled pork belly cuts sitting on a bed of kangkong veg.

The Green Peppercorn is located at the following places in greater Sydney:
Fairfield Hotel - south-west of Sydney CBD at No. 1 Hamilton Road, Fairfield

Civic Hotel - Sydney CBD at level One, 388 Pitt Street, Sydney City centre

Bookings are held for up to 20 minutes after stated reservation time.  Licensed and not BYO.


What impressed me - wide variety of menu, friendly service, dishes came out fast and ready change of plates.
What could be better - maybe too much salt in some dishes, or is it just me?
Tip - try to avoid popular rush hour, go for the exotic and anything charcoal grilled is a winner here.

Banana flower salad with deep fried chicken, cashew nuts and greens.