Pishon Patisserie and Cake Cafe, District Dining, Chatswood NSW

Mango pretty.

Tea and walnut cakes. Churros and green tea latte.  Recently available, tiramisu and two coconut flavours, with mango and strawberry.  Hot chocolate.   Dainty cups and pretty presentation. Breads, cookies and sandwiches. A chocolate Kipferl, echoing of German Nanas baking in the home kitchen when you visit, with aromas of almonds and vanilla.  A black sesame doughnut.  A mango and raspberry juice blend.  A niche of fusion between East and West, but mainly contemporary Korean.  Aussie fruits and ingredients.  Euro baking perspectives.  A Korean corner in multi-cultural Sydney.

We could watch the world nearby go by, people of all ages and demographics, passing by the side glass window.  Most of them were transiting from the trains or on their way to the nearby supermarket.  It was late in the evening, but many in the crowd were relaxed and seemed to be just starting the night.  A good gathering area for coffee and cakes.  In a cafe that opens early, the whole day and closes late.  This is Pishon, a name inspired by the Hebrew to emphasise peacefulness and grace.

The three of us adults, together with smiling Alyssa, looked at the cafe's display, after dinner.  We then settled for what could be Pishon's signature - a delicate, beautiful creation with small squares of watermelon settled on a heart shaped base, which in turn is placed on top of the cake proper - the miniature Rose-watermelon.  Looking like it came out from an anime scene, it is daintily wrapped , can be challenging to cut but comes out well with a rose scented aroma.   The deja vu moment with this, when I first tried it, was to compare with Christopher The's signature watermelon-strawberry delight at the Black Star Pastry.   Different but related, both a must try.

The miniature cake - Rose-watermelon.

The trio-coloured Gateau-Mocha slices are captivating - that also is the name of an anime character!
When one bites onto them, it is into sponge cake that is reached, perhaps a tad disappointing to me, as a more solid build would better infuse the template with the coffee or chocolate taste.  They do however look good, sophisticated and petite.

For more wholesome snacks, I eyed the tuna omelette and the bacon tomato walnut rolled sandwich.  Walnuts in my bread, what an idea, for texture crunchiness to complement the usual breakfast insides.
Whole cakes can be ordered on line and picked up, like the uniquely designed Dalmation (yes white with spots) and the classic fresh cream cake.

Next visit, I shall try some items I have been curious about - the sliced potato cake, using an ingredient that takes a high place of traditional culinary pride in Korean culture; a cuppa of coffee with a twist, in the green tea latte; a garlic cookie;  the chestnut Manju or Japanese steamed cake; and the yoghurt cheesecake.  I am more agreeable with the food than the coffee here, but hey maybe the blends served can be an acquired preference...



The Pishon Cafe is located at Shop 54, 432 Victoria Avenue in the District Dining above Chatswood NSW rail station in the northern Sydney area.

Opening hours for the District Dining venue for Pishon are 7am to 9pm everyday, except on Sundays, when it is open from 9am to 9pm.
Contact +61 8540 2412


The Pishon has a patisserie and cake outletat 77 Rowe Street, Eastwood NSW and a warehouse at 57 Hunter Street, Hornsby NSW.   It offers franchises and also does supply catering.

Imperial Peking Chinese Restaurant, Blakehurst NSW

Siew Mai was luscious, generous and yummy.

Sunday with great weather, end of summer.  I saw the cars lining up parked on the side road of Stuart Street.  The building is eye catching, with a classical Chinese pavilion style with a beautiful tiled roof and lion statues at the main entrance.    The restaurant has a rather small car park at the back, but rather not sufficient for its needs at this rush hour.  We parked a block away from the main strip of King Georges Road and strolled to the front.  We could see the Princes Highway across the junction.  The place was chock a block, most people who were waiting for a seat sat in an inner rounded pavilion, whilst there were mainly small tables for lunching.  Welcome to Cantonese yum cha in the suburbs.

The Imperial Peking has been in business for many years - its custom has been mainly mainstream Aussies, although it is located in a region of greater Sydney that has many Asian demographics.   Service is fast, although there is not much room for use of food trolleys.  Yum cha goodies come out as the kitchen crew dictate, but it is always useful to look at what people are eating and the trays being held by wandering staff.   There are around 40 items available at lunchtime, ranging from deep fried, steamed, sweet to roasted.   Noise is part of the fun and ambiance, but the turnover of tables is reasonable and the food offered keeps moving.  Although there is no nicely dressed up lady to greet us at the place where customers first arrive, the guy who coordinates table seating is quick footed, although at times arriving guests may not be able to find him.

We enjoyed the char siew bao, the siew mai and the stir fried vermicelli.  Some of the other items were pretty ordinary on the bite.  We asked for beer but that did not come, so we dropped this. It was a rather busy time for the staff, especially those having to clear tables for the waiting guests.  Unlike in Din Tai Fung, we could not see the kitchen. By the time we left, albeit on a quick lunch, the dessert items had not come out to be served - never mind, maybe next time.   The Chinese tea blend served was pretty average.

A private dining room is provided upstairs, seating up to 40 guests.   Weekly specials at dinner time cover mud crab, beef and fish offerings.  The dessert range for evenings is good, including sweet almond dumplings, crepe Suzettes, Bomb Alaska, toffee banana and mashed bean cakes, with a choice of liquors and liquor coffee.   Peking duck, honey king prawns, duck with noodles, Mongolian lamb and beef fried rice stand out in their rather retro menu, but this is what the market here wants as well.

For more adventurous diners, there is the Imperial Beggar Chicken, a whole chicken wrapped with lotus leaves and enclosed with dough for baking; the Peking Picnic chicken, an alternative from the usual roast chicken; and Mermaid's Tresses, essentially a careful and pretty presentation of scallops placed on cabbage.

The Imperial Peking is located at an important junction between King Georges Road and the princes Highway in Blakehurst NSW, southern Sydney.  Its address is 979 King Georges Road.
Opening hours for yum cha are from 11am to 3pm daily from Mondays to Saturdays, with from 10am to 3pm on Sundays.  Also open for dinner from 530pm to 10pm from Sundays to Thursdays and on public holidays, with Fridays and Saturdays opening from 530 pm to 11pm.
Contact by telephone +61 9546 6122
A surcharge applies per person on public holidays.




 

Restaurant Hua Xin - Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya, Klang Valley

Unique alkaline based snacks accompanying a light stir fried salad.



Steamed fish with broth. Salted egg yolk pork ribs. Sweet and sour pork.  Fish head curry.  Steamed chicken on the bone cooked with Xiao Xing wine and herbs.  Buttermilk prawns served in a claypot.

These are the delights, amongst other dishes, of  a rather niche restaurant  found in the residential suburbs  of the Klang Valley outside the city centre of Kuala Lumpur.   The menu is inspired by Fujian traditions, yet embraces the mutli-cultural profile of Malaysia and offers some gems in culinary taste.

Fujian cooking emphasises broths and soups, the use of peanuts and fermented fish sauce or shrimp oil.  Its culinary attitude shares with the Japanese in the importance of Umami or Xian wei flavours,  underlining soft, subtle and yet tasty sensations.

Delightful, crunchy and tasty brinjal slices.

The place is down to earth, with a home cooked feeling, casual atmosphere and with photographs of the female chef smiling down from the walls.   Mr. Oh, an elderly man of gentle but focused demeanour, is seen interacting with customers.

There are only several tables, so it can get packed on weekend meal times.   The service is efficient and quick, traditional Chinese tea as in yum cha places is readily offered as customers sit down and most people that Saturday afternoon knew what they wanted - like my two cousins who took me there, with niece Sarah.

Fujian styled pork belly cuts braised in soy sauce - one of the signature dishes.

I hear that the curry chicken bun plus sweet potato and tapioca noodles are worth a try.   Fujian cuisine makes their own variation of Fuzhou fish balls and that is also available here.   The curry chicken is an illustration of fusion and cross cultural influences when many immigrants from the Hokkien community in southern China settled in south-east Asia.

Hua Xing also offers a fish paste bean curd, echoing the roots of Fujian beside the coast.


Oh Fuu Yong is a main principal at Restaurant Hua Xing
Located at Lot1-12, Forst Floor, Plaza Seri Setia, Jalan SS9/2, Seri Setia, Sungai Way, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open every day from 11am to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm except on Wednesdays.
Contact  +603 7876 3288 or +60163080210