Duck With Vermicelli Soup

Dong Ba, at 296 Chapel Road South in the suburb of Bankstown in the greater Sydney region, is an unassuming, down to earth cafe that reminds one of the hustle and bustle of old Saigon, but easily accessible when you are in the so-called Indo-Chinese quarter of Australia's largest metropolitan area. From Wollongong, it is a leisurely 45 minute drive and signals the start of what I refer to as the Asian foodie arc, that extends past Campsie, Marrickville and Eastwood.

The place is popular with on-the-run diners with thoughts on grocery shopping, but needing relief with a bowl of hot piping food, especially noodles in soup or served mixed dry. I had to try their duck breast cuts (above), which are served separately with garnishings of finely cut lettuce, onions, roasted peanuts and garlic oil relish - and you have the option of pouring them all on to the rich broth (below) or not. The broth hides delicately cooked fine white mung bean vermicelli, the texture of which goes well with the duck on the skin.

I had all the available servings swirlings on to the broth (above) and then contemplated adding the sauces below - left to right, freshly prepared Viet styled chili paste and Chinese hoi sin sauce. Downed with complimentary standard jasmine, we were charged at ten dollars per person. I found the meal refreshing, not heavy for lunch time and savouring the herbal aromas of the garnishings on top of a rather satisfying stock for the soup. The duck provided was not fatty but just right.

Click on the following link for more fascinating duck themed culinary experiences, including those at

PM 24, 24 Russell Street, Melbourne; Miss Chu's, both at 150 Bourke St Darlinghurst, Sydney and 297 Exhibition St, Melbourne; Harvest, 1 Harvest Road, North Fremantle, WA; and The Flower Drum, 17 Market Lane, Melbourne.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/executive-lifestyle/gallery-e6frg8jo-1226036088489?page=1

Another Breakfast at Balgownie

On weekend mornings, maybe we need a change from muesli, toast and the poached eggs. When the pace is more leisurely, mates can come over and get involved with a tropical themed meal that reminds me of memories of seaside bungalows, teenage camps and family outings. For the mains, the ingredients are simple - fresh prawns from South Australia, yellow Hokkien noodles, cherry tomatoes and sliced chicken breast.

Have a dash of salt on the chicken bites. Get the wok going hot with some cooking oil, throw in some blended garlic and throw in the chicken first. When the wok gets going with aromatic sizzle, add the noodles and flavour them with some oyster flavoured sauce. The de-shelled prawns only need a quick stir to cook, so add them last. Tomatoes are garnishings when served. Add freshly ground pepper to taste before consuming.

Get your mates to prepare the stir-fried egg parcels - they are optional. (below)

What is mandatory, however, is the condiment of chili paste or sambal (below). When smeared with the hot piping noodles, the chili mix brings out the stir fry and arouses the palate's senses better than a cup of coffee.

Mosman, Sydney - The Thai Paragon

A leisurely Saturday evening catch up with university classmates turned up as well to be

my latest adventure with Thai cuisine offered in Sydney. On a relatively warm autumn night, I had the opportunity - with mostly Caucasian diners at the Thai Paragon Restaurant - to reacquaint myself with some favourite dishes and tastes. Above, a fitting dessert of sticky rice pudding, accompanied by vanilla ice cream and bathed by raspberry sauce (foreground) and a selection of quintessential Thai fruits (jackfruit, pomegranate and the like) soaked in a light coconut milk mixture.

My recommendation for the evening (above) - the classic padthai, or stir-fried thin rice noodles

with garnishings of fresh bean sprouts, small pieces of soya bean cakes, chicken bites and a flurry of sauces (sugary, savoury and salty) - all ready with an option of a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The Paragon version had an appetising wetness to this dish - not too dry and not too moist as well.

Between the soft shell crab (above) and the green curry (below), I was fascinated by the lightness of the latter and was a tad disappointed by the saltiness of the former. The green curry attracted me because it was not over creamy and brought out the bite of the prawns.

Entrance to the Mosman version of the Paragon above, with an entree of spring rolls below.

The chicken salad (below) stood out in being unassuming in looks, but was rather satisfying to the palate.

The Thai Paragon Restaurant visited above is located at 143a Raglan Street, Mosman, on Sydney's lower North Shore.