Pent-Thai Restaurant, Epping, Sydney

Coming back from Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley, about two hour's drive north from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, my group of three stopped at Epping, a transit point for rail and bus in north-west Sydney. Jennifer suggested going to Pent-Thai for an early dinner.  Opposite the train station along Oxford Street, the restaurant had staff dressed up in traditional Thai silk and colours.  I had met the owner before elsewhere after being introduced by Jennifer and so I did have some expectations about this place after hearing so much about it. It was a late spring evening and we chose light selections to wind up the day.

The best dish we had, I reckoned, was the aromatic and bite-crunchy deep fried chicken wings, not over oily and served with lettuce and a kicker hot chili sauce.  KFC, better watch out!  We also liked the pad see ew, with wide and flat rice noodles bathed in a gooey but tasty gravy mixed with fresh chicken slices.  I noticed the Crying Tiger pork in the menu but we did not have that. More than a couple of staff members came out from the kitchen to speak to us. There was the expected queue of take away customers and then as the evening wore on, more sit down diners, as we arrived rather early for dinner ourselves. We were delighted when we were offered a dish the staff were having for dinner themselves, an interesting mix of shrimp, chili and more stir fried to serve as an appetising condiment to consume best with steaming hot cooked jasmine rice.  I understand that the chefs here hailed originally form southern Thailand.

The stir fried noodles shown above, although stacked with prawns on the shell, crunchy veg and flustering with wok flavours, was too sweet for our taste and preference. Still, Pent Thai offered an overall satisfying experience which puts it above its suburban location.

Atmosphere:  Modern yet traditional.
Location: Suburban
Taste: Satisfying.
People Engagement:  Above expectations.
Service:  Friendly, quick and efficient.
Best Dish Experienced:  Deep fried Chicken Wings
Best Time to Visit: Dinner time.
Would I Return? Yes.

Albee's Kitchen, Cabramatta NSW

Fresh from its success in Campsie, Albee's in south-west Sydney is packing them in at their new outlet in Cabramatta - at 2/44 Park Street.  Again, the dining place is not that large, but the menu is varied. although perhaps not as extensive as that in Campsie. The Cabramatta outlet competes with food from Vietnam and other parts of south-east Asia, even if the target market is the same. On my recent visit with four of us in a group on a Sunday, what stood out was the yong tau foo in soup and the Hainan chicken rice.  Yong tau  foo is simply goodies like pork and fish mousse stuffed in deep fried tofu pockets  with all swirling in a rich stock soup, replete with cut chilis and okra. My own favourites from Albee's remain the satay skewers, the South Indian mee rebus, the Fujian lobak rolls, nasi lemak, Marmite-flavoured pork ribs and the piping hot Kuching-styled but Cantonese-inspired clay pot noodles.

The tamarind-flavoured Thai-styled assam laksa (photo above) is an integral part and parcel of Penang Island street food.  The version we had at Albee's I reckon must have been modified to suit Sarawak cooking styles on the island of Borneo.  The white fat noodles used were larger than what we expected.  The garnishing of cut pineapple, mint and Spanish onions were there as tradition requires. Somehow the taste of the stock soup was different, perhaps they had used another type of fish other than the preferred mullet.  It did not have the rich intensity that can be found in the Penang and Thai versions.  We also figured out about the choice of black shrimp paste (har ko)  utilised that is quintessential to making the assam laksa that is craved by expectant mothers, immigrant adults and others who grew up with this niche dish.  Galangal, shallots, ginger  flower stalks, fermented shrimp paste (the belacan) and lemon grass are the key ingredients when making the required paste fresh.

Cabramatta remains an eating,  commercial and shopping hub for Sydney, with a variety and liveliness that is fascinating fro any visitor. We spotted pandanus plants on sale in the mall; had durian milkshakes; and pased by several fabric shops. Fruits eyes included the mangosteens and mangoes grown in Australia.

Jonga Jip Korean, Eastwood NSW - Revisited

Jonga Jip Restaurant in the north-western Sydney suburb of Eastwood has opened another outlet, this time in front of the rail station along Railway Parade and next door to the Eastwood Hotel.  This is in addition to their original restaurant at 87 Rowe Street. The second place has a homely feel, although with the same press ring bells on dining tables, which are spread out across two shop fronts, with two levels for guests. Above, a potato ball takes pride of place to whet your appetite before the arrival of your mains.

With my first bite, I was agreeable to the sea bream roe mixed with rice and other concoctions (picture above).  This was, all at the same time, crunchy, refreshing and tasty, reminding me of cous cous, but not quite.  The dish turned out to be more veg than anything else, with fresh, pickled and sliced versions all served in a heady and yet subtle sensation.  My friend had a tofu soup.

The collection of entree dishes are what always impresses me at Jonga Jip.  They range from salads
(photo above) to spiced up  potato-based creations (picture below) and are served in smaller flat but round utensils that always have a dash of gravy, spice and garnishing.  Such entrees include tofu, seaweed, jelly pieces (final picture below),  pickled radish, bean sprouts, cucumber slices and more.

The seafood shallot pancakes or Pajeon are still in super size and should serve a hungry family of four right.
Marbled short ribs and Bibimbap could be seen served at other tables when we were there.  What caught my eye was a dish that combined kimchi with mashed potatoes in a heady mix called Ban chan, symbolic of East meeting West.  After Saturday lunch, I was introduced to a nearby cafe, called the Cafe Bom, where I had a filtered drip Dutch coffee and an intensely tasty Italian green tea flavoured gelato served in a Korean contemporary setting of wall papered surroundings with Euro styled tables and chairs.  It had been a most interesting Korean-themed Saturday afternoon.

Tan Dinh Cathedral - Saigon, Vietnam

With a strong Gothic, Roman and Baroque style plus obvious French roots, the 136 year old Tan Dinh Cathedral along Hai Ba Trung in District 3 in Saigon glows  - from the distance and close up - with a distinctive and elegant presence and stature. I was fascinated with the gabled roofs, its tower standing at 52.6 meters, a bronze cross, sizable gardens, fish scaled roof tiles, strong porticoes and its obvious pink outer walls.  There is a school on its grounds and also a statue of Christ with out stretched arms.

Inside the Cathedral, there are shrines to Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Martin de Porres and also to Catholic martyrs of Vietnamese background.  The layout of pews, richly stained windows, arched columns and some austere non-trappings are all evocative of Catholicism and yet evoke another time, another place.

Tan Dinh is near by the Pasteur Institute, the Tan Dinh Markets and the Women's Museum.  The nearby markets offer a variety of fascinating produce, live, dried and fresh.  Binh Tay and Ben Tanh are examples of other popular markets in Saigon, referred to as cho.  The picture below shows a view of Hai Ba Trung in Saigon, standing from the front of the Cathedral.

Nha Trang, Vietnam - Long San Pagoda

At the foot of Trai Thy Mountain, in Nha Trang, lies the Long San Pagoda. This is recommended for any visitor to Nha Trang who wants a break from the beach and scuba diving scene and understand better the grassroots life of the locals. It has a unique address of 22 October 23 Street.  There is a bell pavilion, a Sleeping Buddha, a giant pink coloured container and a strong sense of tradition and heritage.

Mosaic murals and motifs are scattered around the main shrine hall, from which you can see two illustrative examples - a legendary animal above and the Chinese script for "fa" or prosperity in Mandarin, below.

Standing at 14 meters tall, the representation of the Gautama Buddha occupies the highest point in the complex, sitting on a lotus blossom with a circumference of 7 meters.  The long dragons protecting them are 7.2 meters long each.  This Buddha overlooks the city and the ocean, in a classic and traditional repose of 'sitting on  mountain and looking at the sea".  One walks up a couple of squat outdoor staircases from the main shrine hall and is rewarded by views from a vantage point.

There are visibly three levels to walk up when you approach the Long San from a busy street side in an inland part of the city. You can walk back from this temple complex back to the Nha Trang tourist and ocean waterfront in under 30 minutes, after ducking hordes of motor cycles and walking past various forms of commerce.  here in Long San, you can savour  the tranquility and timelessness of patience, compassion and architecture.  For the latter, it is evident there are strong influences from not just China, but from Kampuchea, Thailand and India.