Koi Dessert Bar Chippendale NSW

Not since Adriano Zumbo has there been such a huge adoration for a Patisserie chef in Sydney, Australia.    Reynold  Poernomo is young, slim and full of dreams.   He has an eye for the aesthetic, the detailed and the captivating - not just visually, but in arousing our template and inherent urge for the forbidden culinary world.   Human beings need relief from the mundane, the usual and the routine.    Reynold provides this at the Koi Dessert Bar in downtown Sydney in the revamped village hub of Kensington Street in Chippendale.


The menu creates more excitement with names from fairy tales and Nature.    The Forbidden Fruit suggests of a recreated apple, looking so red perhaps because of use of the raspberry Sorbet, but when you get digging into this, there are other treasures to discover - chocolate mousse, lime zest and raspberry gel, all sitting on a chocolate looking and tasting soil.    There is a definite pleasure to contrast the richer chocolate with the lighter but still sharp raspberry.


Some other dessert offerings are more direct to figure out -  Peach Please is dominated by peach jam, but is actually a rosemary flavoured yoghurt, enhanced with a Heillala vanilla mousse and sprinkled with a raspberry powder.   This turns out to be rather harmonised both on the palate and to the eyes.   Heilala vanilla is a brand found in Australia, often used in bakeries, noted for the vanilla seeds present and useful for light coloured recipes like Cream Brulee, custards and shortbreads.


T. Time suggests very East Asian, with a core of black tea ice cream, garnished by mandarins, chocolate pebbles,  a five spice hazelnut sponge and the French Creme De Meaux.

A central Koi Kitchen prepares the pretty and petite delights.    Back at Kensington Street, the openness of the goings-on at street level, with a hive of activity of mostly energetic staff, suggests an inviting world of what is happening behind the display.   It is a cobbled and paved lane in front,  as if a private enclosure, and you have entered an inner sanctum of Reynold's.


Cocktails, licensed bar offerings and a dimension of a way about town permeate upstairs.  It is as if you have climbed  up a traditional two storey house in the South Sea islands, but this one is surrounded by glass on most sides.    You can look down at a small flowering garden below.    The romance you have been caught in, blurry eyed, downstairs can continue in an affair upstairs.      

Mousse, sponge, Panacotta, gels, tarts and jelly.   Asian reminders like Matcha, sesame, Yuzu, coconut, green apple and lime.    Aussie standards like Pistachio, caramel,  white chocolate and yoghurt.    The compulsory little flower petals sitting on top of things that catch the eye.   Shapes that persist -  globes, pyramids, towers, rectangles and squares.


Colours do arise from the tropical origins of where Reynold's extended family came from.   Purple, yellow, orange and more.  They can at times remind me of the Straits Chinese kueh, but this a world away with Euro influences, fusion encouragement,  East Asian beauties and the best of new fangled ingredients.    Hidden in the delights is a reminder of the Bika Ambon, usually made with tapioca, sugar, coconut milk, yeast and eggs, but also versatile to combine with cheese and chocolate flavours.    At the same time, Tonka beans from Central America and the northern parts of South America are also used at the Koi   - the power of the beans is in their Coumarin, which is also utilised in the perfumery industry.

The expectations of customers can be subject to whims, sentiment and reality.   This can apply especially when when two of the artistes and chefs behind the creations from Koi have been on public television.   


Art can be a subjective thing - has Reynold Poernomo concentrated more on presentation, ingredients with taste?    Going forward, can he can consider more on texture and theme surprise?   To be fair, there have been this teasing play by Koi of how ingredients have been converted into shapes far from their what they usually are, for example fruits rediscovered in sheets.    Reynold also does love to surprise and make us smile  - several of his dessert creations involve cracking a surface, digging with anticipation inside and then changing our perceptions.   This process sweetens our experience and increases our anticipation all at the same time.


Do the regulars prefer more variations as time goes by, while retaining the favourites?   This is not easily answered.  If you have fallen in love with one creation, you would not want that replaced, but to create more variety, that means more to be made for the display shelf.


Koi does not just offer non-savoury items and has factored in a degustation menu away from the patisserie and desserts.    The non-dessert creations, from a chef with a background of Indonesian culinary influence, come from Arnold, brother to Reynold.   Mind you, there is another brother, Ronald, in the team as well   - and he specialises in cocktails.   Three brothers , each with his own unique talent.


Back to Arnold, he was a judge in the Indonesian version of Masterchef.     The one savoury dish from Arnold  for me is the duck breast   - roasted with charcoal;  served with duck hearts, butternut pumpkin, Swiss chard leafy veg with red stalks and onions; and flavoured with orange maple cider and red wine.    


The other test of culinary skills is in the Hiramasa kingfish, increasingly popular in fine dining these days  and Koi garnishes them with salmon roe, a puree of caramelised onions and mushrooms,  kelp oil plus smoked Dashi.    Dashi is an important stock and base for many things in Japanese cooking - usually made with kelp and preserved and fermented fish like the Skipjack Tuna  - and is essential to provide the significant Umami taste.

There are four variations as to how you wish to enjoy the Koi experience.  Many phone in orders for catering to collect or take home.    Walk-ins usually wait for a seat along the street and line up to obtain what is available on the display shelf.   Before dinner time, yet others order from down stairs but get a table in better ambient surroundings upstairs.   If you come after 6pm and want to go upstairs, you have to order from the degustation menus - dessert or a combination of savoury and dessert.


There are more variations at the licensed bar upstairs.   Serious coffee lovers may make the leap with a Gotta Have Espresso Tini, where Canadian maple syrup, Japanese Mirin, vanilla Vodka and Licor 43 mix with an espresso to provide the best of many worlds.   Licor 43 is reputed to have forty-three ingredients, but generally is a light citrusy liqueur from Spain, flavoured with vanilla and a host of aromatic herbs.    Mirin has a lower alcohol content compared to its other fellow rice wines


For something refreshing, I love the Bitter Balance, where an innocent shot of Angostura Bitters makes company with Campari, dark rum, burnt orange vanilla syrup and lime juice.    The seemingly healthy Banana Milkshake is laden with Baileys and a Caramel Vodka.   And who can not help noticing the Kevin Bacon, where the theme of bacon, truly, flows through its ingredients - Atzec chocolate bitters, Choc bacon and Bacon washed Bulleit Rye whiskey, all washed with maple syrup.

On street level, at certain times, it may look like a queue for seeing a pop star.   There is not much space to wait in front of the display, yet people patiently do so  - Japanese anime  dressers,   middle class families from the North shore,  tourists,  matronly types, youngsters.     Upstairs, there is a ruffle of activity and amidst the diners, there are single ladies, couples, party goers out on the town and the university people.






Koi Dessert Bar visited is located at 46 Kensington Street, Chippendale NSW.   This is the side of Kensington Street away from George Street.
Opening hours are from 10am to 10pm every day except Mondays.  Coffee and cakes are available from 10am to 10pm, whilst degustation dinner begins at 6pm.
Contact + 61 2 9212 1230
It has been announced for another outlet opening in Ryde NSW.





My other recommended creations to try at the Koi Dessert bar are:

Nomtella, served as a dome with a Brownie base and topped with salted caramel and Espresso flavoured mousse.

High Tea combination with matching tea blends  -  I understand this is the next frontier and adventure at Koi's.







 

Of Storms and Responsibility

The storm over the metropolitan Sydney area yesterday was pretty cyclonic - and we have had not so much rain so far for the month of March in the Sydney basin since 1942. 

We have always been asked to prepare ahead and to clean out the roof gutters before anything negative occurs. Soil erosion is also an immediate risk, especially if we continue to be deluged every evening. Inadequate drainage is a causative factor behind most flash floods. 

I applaud the work of our State Emergency Services or SES - always mopping up, rescuing people in a time of need and in helping us, also often taking some measure of personal risks themselves.

I have been watching the creek near my place and also noted that downstream this Creek in Fairy Meadow, Wollongong Council has been carrying out dredging activities recently. Good on them. 

The storm risks to my neighbourhood are dislodged roof tiles, as the Illawarra coast faces open ocean winds. 

It is always the perfect storm, king tides, unexpected volume of rainfall, old trees, too much bush and pre-storm existing risks in topography and drainage that combine to create havoc. Insurers can keep mum, politicians often only think of themselves and the official policy of climate change denial make responsible authorities unprepared. 

Modern society, especially in Western nations, can spend more time pampering their individual sensitivities than preventing obvious physical risks to the community. The price to pay falls on the individual consumer, not insurers who can just pass the buck and developers who can build on marginal quality sites. 

Choices in Western Democracies

The rise of sufficient voters, in some Western democracies, to rebel against the so called political establishment, is a long due correction and adjustment to the system. 

It is observed that such voters just want change and seek an alternative to a situation which has increasingly brought economic hardship, inequities and less hope to them in the course of daily living. 

The rich get even more wealthy in the 21st century. Favouritism in political correctness measures become more obviously selective. Ruling parties continue to show signs of excessively being in the comfort zone. 

Instead of being more in touch with heartland supporters, established parties wheel and deal with groups of marginal supporters who do decide election outcomes. 

The heartland voters as such feel neglected, lose their political voice and now begin to fight back. The proverbial straw that has broken the so called camel's back of such voters is the strong realisation that their quality and culture of life are being lost, with the establishment taking them for granted and not sufficiently in touch with the grassroots. 

The question that begs clarification and discussion is then what political shade of power will then step in to replace the establishment?

Is such new power more right wing, militaristic and inward looking? Are they comprised of less experienced individuals, as they have been outside the established networks before? Are they more outspoken, but have no clue in implementation savvy? Do the new authorities voted in as such also have secret agendas? 

Political strategy continues to be a vital skill no matter who is in charge. Will such new strategies include less tolerance, more hype and more zealotry? 

How will the populace adjust and manage in such politically turbulent times in Western societies? Are the new powers necessarily more qualified to do the job, or just continue to be powerful without much knowledge in and capability of their specialised portfolios? Is just the ability to talk to and rousing the rabble enough to serve a country?

Whether the same political establishment or a new alternative, are they all in cahoots with big business and conventional alliances?

Will change mean a less co-operative world, a less humane way of doing things and an unashamed and less ethical way of policy choice?

Western politics can be a sort of swinging pendulum, due to the frequency of holding elections. Viable policies of the incumbent government can just be removed due to differences in political philosophy, all within a short few years.

The nature of society and human business is best dynamic and evolving. We cannot perhaps afford to rely on the well worn labels of conservatism, leftism and more from the past. Whatever the alternatives for the future, and whatever names are concocted for them, the most important question remains - will it work to benefit the community and nation?

Or will we continue to have still some measure of the wool pulled in front of our eyes?

Lu Ming Yi Restaurant, Shantou, Guangdong Province

Snaggletooth Food and Drink Joint Fairy Meadow NSW

Cronuts in a basket.

I was tipped off about a new cafe in the suburb  -  the place had been relaid out, giving a different feel from the previous operation and that the coffee was good as well.


Open every day, it has added to the ambiance in Fairy Meadow, a normally working class suburb  transformed over the past two years into something more to visit.  With its Italian-Australian flavours in shops, schools and community,  this small area north of  Wollongong city centre is now comparable to Haberfield in Sydney's inner west, although not so heavily ethnic.   It does have a beach to its east, not far away and even a rail station that once had the risk of losing its unique name to the suggestion of "Innovation".    That name change proposed to NSW Rail did not transpire, but the more significant matter of having a more viable commercial hub is happening as I write.

Breakfast omelette.




Toby the owner-operator may have a nick name that relates to this cleverly named cafe - Snaggletooth.    Already a few weeks into business, one thing stood out to me - the generous servings of food served.   I must say it is wholesome food for customers.  The menu is also extensive.   There are little touches that mean a lot to me - avocado delightfully waiting to be uncovered below your Eggs Benni.   Snaggletooth also opens early for the commuter and the physically active.

Toby's Estate is the blend for the cuppa  - they not be overly bold for the strong hearted in preference, but good enough for me to stand out in my skim Picollo, when I first went there with a mate.   The cafe is close to supermarkets, a sporting ground used often by schools and is a useful pick me up amongst your trip to do the chores.    There are various forms of seating with a wide store front looking out on the Princes Highway.   


Snaggletooth literally means a projecting, broken or unusually shaped tooth.   If this is to indicate a suggestion to do something different and positive fro Fairy Meadow and the Illawarra Coast, why not?   The cafe may not look totally hipster but there are other markets waiting to be attended to as the art of coffee consumption spreads beyond the twenty somethings.    It must be said the quality of the food provided must be recognised as an important factor -  not just in the sourdough, but across all lines offered.    Do not just depend on the coffee, no matter how romanticised it can be.

Eggs Benny with salmon, wedges, avocado  and veg.

Snaggletooth visited is located at  19 Princes Highway,  Fairy Meadow NSW, near the corner with  Cambridge Avenue and opposite the set of lights with Daisy Street.

Holy Basil Shark Hotel Sydney CBD

Deep fried ice cream that comes more like a wrapped parcel, accompanied by muesli, cashews and strawberries.

Sharing is always the best way to go with south-east Asian dishes, for not only does one get to sample each of the variety offered, but it also leads to a certain feeling of communion at the table.  When the restaurant occupies almost a third of the pub and bar floor, the camaraderie from the licensed bar area can easily translate to a better feeling of gathering at the dining section.

The Shark Hotel in downtown Sydney can be accessed from both Pitt Street and Liverpool Street.   This is ethnic Western Sydney transplanted for a rising population that reside in the city centre and so perhaps for a different demographic compared to its original base in Canley Heights.   Here in the city, your diners can be more discerning, may have more disposable income or can devote more time after working hours.  

I love this subtle but yummy dish - more of a Chinese styled roast duck, sitting in a concoction of soy, garlic and Thai sauces, garnished by aromatic herbs and Bok Choy.

The quality of cuisine continues to maintained at high standards after all these years at the Holy Basil upstairs at the Shark Hotel.   I recall this hotel used to be a hub of night life but these days I am not so sure.     



The Sydney scene for Thai food away from Bangkok has grown, with a more experienced and sophisticated audience looking for unusual dishes, perhaps with more roasts and grills, with less coconut milk and with a sense of adventure to try variations of Thai standards like spicy salads, curries and noodle creations.    Holy Basil was part of the interim movement away from what Aussies saw and understood as Thai food.  They now face challenges from street food offerings with more interplay of Thai sauces, herbs and other ingredients.

Mango strips are heaped as a kind of salad on top of a  deep fried whole Snapper.

I reckon that Holy Basil still commands a good niche role between the suburban Thai and the new fangled Thai which have arisen in response to competition and fusion trends.    If you just want a good feed with reliability, Holy Basil can still provide you that.   The crowd on a recent Sunday evening seemed to reverberate with regulars, tourists and families.     The spacious seating  at the Shark Hotel outlet allows you to scan the tables for any exciting or popular dishes.

    

Alas, there was no pork knuckle or roast shoulder pork like those found at The Green Peppercorn at the Civic Hotel behind World Square.    However, do try the marinated lamb cutlets and the roast pork belly cubes enhanced by garlic and chilli.   A highlight for our evening was dabbling into the Laotian styled pork sausages - they are not oily, are rather more tasty than they look and are served with their unique sauce.     Those who have eaten at the Green Peppercorn may recall the grilled ox tongue with a certain fondness  - and the question is which one is better done, there or at the Holy Basil?


There was a reduced availability of unique sauces when compared with what are found at the Tawandang.   There is no lack of dessert choices at the Holy Basil, although I was happy with the selections of fruit juices and smoothies.    



Music can be played loud at times, for there is really no wall or partition for the restaurant from the rest of Shark Hotel.   There is a lift for those who want to avoid the stairs but that evening when we were there, it was locked and we had to make a special request for usage, responded to professionally by the duty manager from the Shark Hotel.

Tom Yum Kung or with prawns  - this was well made, with enough kick in the thicker soup.

Head Chef Tony Inthavong runs a family run operation  at the Holy Basil here.


My other dish recommendations at the Holy Basil at the Shark Hotel are:


Pad Thai with jumbo prawns, bean sprouts,crushed peanuts, eggs, chives, Spanish onions and chives.

Crispy chicken wings served with two sauces and made with a special recipe batter.


Satay chicken skewers served with a different kind of peanuty sauce.


Salt and pepper soft shell crab.





Holy Basil at the Shark Hotel visited is located at 127 Liverpool Street, near the corner with Pitt Street in Sydney CBD.
Opening hours are from noon to 3pm every day and for dinner, from 5pm to 10pm from Sundays to Thursdays and from 5pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Contact + 61 2 9283 8284
There is also a takeaway menu.

Street Scenes from Beijing

A variation of Beijing duck with other dishes.

Chrysanthemum shrub.

The walls and well used lane of the Forbidden City.

Qianmen Avenue.

Central Asian cuisine is popular in Beijing.

High tea at the National Museum of China.

Entrance to the Wan Fu Xing markets.

Wheat based dough is utilised to hold a diverse variety of fillings in Xian Bing -  inside the wraps can be minced pork, chopped fennel and other tasty delights.

Beijing duck slices.

Temple of Heaven Beijing

The Tian Tan -  this was a place of sanctity, a site of privilege, for only the Emperor (aka the Son of Heaven) and his inner sanctum in dynastic Chinese days could use with protocol, respect and ritual.    The fate of the nation, especially its agricultural wealth and status, significantly depended on the strength of prayers performed and the viability of the Mandate of Heaven.   The cultural and religious head of the huge kingdom connected with the Universe and the sublime on this very chosen spot.    It was the vital link between the masses and the unseen powers in the skies, through which one man, the Emperor, was the only medium of communication, power and influence.



This place of importance has circular shapes in construction, as if to replicate the roundness of the planets, the Sun and the Moon.   The highest structure sits on elevated platforms, with tall pillars inside the halls and round topped roofs.     The size , shape and lay out of the place is connected with astrological beliefs and practice.    Grand institutions of Chinese background seem to have wide open spaces to transverse before approaching the main focus in a specific building.    Here the visitor, since it was turned into a public park in 1918, can approach at will and ease, as the underlying foundations of the philosophy behind the Temple of Heaven have been under emphasised in contemporary times.    In its royal past, pomp and ceremony accompanied visits performed only on days and certain hours calculated on precise pondering of the stars, astrology and the Chinese Zodiac.

Nevertheless, one does not lose the sense of vibes in the air as you explore with eye, feet and a heavy appreciation of history.    Of all the cultural sites for a tourist to Beijing, the Temple of Heaven perhaps is the most kind of all in requiring  exertion and climbing.    I also observe the emptiness of spaces -  there are no longer much furniture or adornments inside those great round shaped halls, where have they gone?     In its glory, the Temple of Heaven did not look so emptied out.    Now the reverence has gone, but human beings scramble over its stoned plazas.   To its credit, the government does maintain restoration works and does repairs.    


The other part I like about the Temple of Heaven is outside , along garden paths lined with fruiting trees and just walking along outside the inner walls.    On a nice day like in September, the air is warm and the sun is kind.    Why was the Temple of Heaven built on this spot?  What is the relationship with Taoism and Confucianism?   This is a tribute to higher powers and so separated from the earth bound goings on in the Forbidden City.  

The colours that still stand out today are red, dark blue and white.      They all have purposeful meanings, not just the whims of officials nor the practical choices of maintenance.     Located south-east of the Forbidden City, in Dongcheng District, the complex was built in the early 15th century by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and renovated by the well respected Qianlong Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911).


UNESCO recognised this as a world heritage cultural site in 1998.   During the Boxer Rebellion, troops from the  eight foreign nations which occupied Beijing desecrated the Temple of Heaven in the first decade of the 20th century.  The most impressive building, the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests, remains the most beautiful sight in proportion, stature and aesthetics.   It is also remarkable for being a construction that uses no nails and all wood, reminding me of another spectacular building in Japan - the Horyu-ji Temple in Nara, with five roofed tiers.   This Hall has three layers of gabled roofs with a fairy tale effect.   It is also graced with marble floors.


We were expecting much with what is called the Echo Wall, surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven.    Did we not shout not with some force from our lungs, or was there too much of a crowd that afternoon?    We did not get any effect of an echo liked we hoped for.   The complex itself can be accessed by four gates synchronised with the directions.    Numbers play a meaningful part in Chinese culture, for example in the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests, you can see four inner pillars, 12 middle pillars and another twelve outer pillars - they represent the four seasons, 12 months and twelve clock hours.



East of the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests is a seven Stone Group, meant to represent the seven peaks of Tai Shan, a mountain with celestial meaning and purpose.