Jonga Jip Eastwood NSW

Banchaan  -  always welcome and meant to get your appetite going further.

This was an evening when winter reluctantly seemed to still hold on, but got diverted occasionally  to allow spring to gently still come in.    Still, it was good to gather around the grill at the centre of the table, with hot coals a burning and having thin slices of well marinated meat sizzling in front of us.   There was much to chat about, to catch up and not just over food.


The place was full of diners and both of us were fortunate to perhaps get the only remaining table, albeit outside under the pergola.  My fellow diner had been to Seoul recently.   The highlight of the dinner that evening was the dumplings, looking plain at the outset, but gratifying delicate and subtle tasty at the end.    

Jonga Jip has tables crammed with young men and women out on the suburb.   I thought this was so like gatherings around a campfire spirit.    Rowe Street at this side may be a mess of roadworks but no one cares.   The dip sauces are especially good and the service is rather fast.  I think of worker's safety as the young man deftly handles the hot pan covers and at the end of the night, pulls out holder  with the dying charcoal ambers.  The tables may be small but diners clear out the food fast in a communal feast.   We abstained from alcohol but most diners do not. 


Korean prepared meats are soaked with flavour, keeping the texture on the bite uppermost in mind.   The grill styles are really for keeping warm with severe winter temperatures outside, so sitting tightly close up becomes natural.     There are more than a few outlets now in this part of Eastwood dishing up what was once a niche and ethnic food in Australia.   Jonga Jip has another outlet just around the corner at Railway Parade  - some say this one along Rowe Street provides the better dining experience.


We both loved handling the short metal chopsticks and required lots of tissues to manage the sauces.   I reckon depending on the time of day you visit this place and whom you meet, the service you get can vary.  We were happy with the staff this time around, even if they were really busy.   Downsides of the venue are that tables are packed together, it can get smoky above your comfort level and also the chatter level can increase as more drinks flow.

My impressions of Jonga Jip at Rowe Street are that it is an evening tribal hub.  Good to consider if you love your meats, do not mind sit huddled together and it is cool outside.  It is lacking in desserts but there are lots of omelette and potato noodles.   To some it may be comfort food, to others something different - and the debate goes on if the food here is more Westernised than authentic.    Those below 30 years old do not mind whatever...the wine list is interesting and a necessary accessory to all the hot meats.





Jonga Jip visited is located at   87 Rowe Street, Eastwood NSW.

Opening hours are from  10am to 11pm every day.

Contact +612 9858 5160









 

Schintz Gateway Circular Quay Sydney NSW

Roman Dyduk is the founder of Papa Schnitz.  Schnitz stands for Schnitzels.   We have had fast food chains specialising in bagels. burgers, pancakes, crepes and now....


In rolls or wraps, one can have choices in several flavours - from Thai the Knot to the American Dream and Swiss.   I enjoyed my choice, with Dill pickles, honey mustard, grilled onions, Cheddar and tomato sauce drizzling over my Schnitz.   There are many common ingredients and garnishing, and only one thing perhaps distinguishes each flavour, for example the Aussie Aussie Aussie has bacon and Hawaii Five-O has pineapple. 


The menu is straight forward, with salads, kid's meals, and sides gracing the main category of wraps and rolls. The biggest serves belong to OMG! and Protein Packed, a term normally reserved for smoothies and juices.   OMG! has rindless bacon, egg and Aioli to enhance the package, while Protein Packed offers Ranch sauce, avocado, semi-dried tomatoes and baby spinach to two Schnitzels.


It was a delightful experience for us - our first time at this fast food chain - especially being served by Ayden, a focused looking young worker at the cash register, speaking well and good mannered.   The staff behind the counter generally have a hustle and bustle about the way they go about their work. 


The schintzels are of a sufficient decent size, and at this chain, combine perhaps the experience of the best of fast food.    Taste for food on the go.  Variety and choice.   Eager and fast moving engagement.   It provides an option for groups, families and those not wanting to spend too much. 



Schintz visited is located at the Gateway Food Court, Alfred Street, Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour.
There are none sites for the Schintz chain around the greater Sydney area.
Opening hours are from 10am to 5pm everyday.






 

Bureaucracy, Arrogance, Cost Minimisation, Expensive - BRACE Yourself

Experience with IPad repair:

-  One must book an appointment on line and there is no live person who interacts with you at this stage.
-  It can be difficult to identify the web link or telephone number to get technical help.
-  After phoning a store, the customer gets to talk with live person but is still advised to book an appointment on line.
-  Walk in customers can wait up to two hours even when they are already present in the store.
-  Walk in customers are not provided a designated area to discuss their technical matters with the product they have bought.
-  There are few stores with Apple technicians, even in a major metropolitan city in Australia.



Experience with preauthorisation hold on credit card arising from three hotel stays:

-  Preauthorisation amounts are not refunded within the agreed period of maximum number of business days after a hotel stay.
-  Charge appears on electronic or hard copy credit card statement and then may be reversed without notification to the credit card holder.
-   Hotels I encountered state that it is the responsibility of the bank to reverse the pre-authorisation charges.
-  Bank involved state it is the responsibility of the hotel in any matter regarding the pre-authorisation charges incurred by the hotel guest.




Cooktop repair
- Expensive call out fee that can go up to  AUD 143.
- Repair charges are more expensive than buying a new cooktop.
- The technician says a steel surround is required and has already measured it.

On the day of installation of new cooktop, the installer says that he does not have the required steel surround with him - this is despite the customer getting confirmed by the call centre person that every thing is ready for installation.
The call centre person says she does not know the technical stuff and the related installer and technician have not posted their information to the central database even a few days after visiting the site of visit.

-  Technicians and installers caused damage to things around the kitchen and do not owe up, even not informing the customer in the first place.   

Public Restaurant Brisbane

Pork belly accompanied by apple.

The first time I noticed the term "KFD", I was so slow witted that I did not even think of Kentucky Fried.   That was because this is on the menu of the Public, a rather ambient dining and watering hole at the quiet end of George Street , as far away from the Treasury Casino as you can get.   Located up an escalator, the Public is on the first floor, exudes suggestions of a private club with just the right level of subdued lighting.  I can see groups at tables perhaps seeking refuge from the world after a long day  - business colleagues, middle aged mates, huddles of women, couples and families.

Oh yes, back to KFD and this Public version of deep fried and spicy battered duck.   Duck dishes are my weakness I admit, but I was distracted then by other interesting offerings in the menu that evening.  Spatchcock - yes.    Belly pork - a definite YES!    Cocktails - oh ya. The drinks list is generous  - a potential and actual place for business gatherings.

Scallops with bacon.

We started with relaxing drinks, I chose the low glass Malabar Crush, with hints of spices and getting into a comfy zone. The best refresher is perhaps the Cucumber Collins.    The strongest offering is possibly the Charred Monk, with a foundation of Dom Benedictine,  La Goya sherry and Bowmore's, then tempered with a twist of Jerry Thomas bitters.   The Public Nuisance may appear light in spirit, with Elderflower, strawberry, cucumber and sparkling wine, but do not forget there is gin.   On an interesting note, there is egg white in A Parting Gift, which is also graced by Amaro Nonino, Bourbon and peached tea.

And you can have your Pina Colada too.....

For food starters,  I recommend the south east Asian spinach (Kangkong) served with worms, if it is still available;  the Emu Tartare with mustard and the duck egg, runny served on toast and enhanced with truffle.

The Treasury Building, walkable from the Brisbane River but on the other side from the South Bank. (photo below)
Entree salads (Photo above)

The cuisine style here can be baffling to pin down.   It suggests inspirations from various cooking traditions, some fusion and definitely making use of the best Aussie ingredients.
In conversation with staff, one of them perhaps summed it up best - "a bit of everything, the best of each".     Therein to me lies the attractiveness of its menu - it can surprise, it can be relied upon and it can be different.


Five of us at the table were provided generous serves of dishes requested, with even the sides in large portions!  I did find the pork crackling rather light coloured but not oily at all.The Cous Cous Chickpea, drizzled with lime, was an appetiser all right.   Scallops are best prepared in my view in French, Cantonese and Tasmanian styles  - that evening we had scallops served with bacon, which combines the contrasts of delicate seafood tastes with the traditional breakfast crispy crunch.


Staff service is attentive and we soon mellowed into the night.   A rather late evening as well.  This is a place with no rush though for dinner time  - and the set pace by Public makes your evening.  The best of sea and turf is exemplified by just one offering from Public - that of Chorizo served with octopus and potato.  Isn't it remarkable, I initially thought, of such a combination?   The strong bite of a preserved sausage is taken with the rather different texture of the seafood.   The potatoes are though, like those served with fish in the European style.


Oh yes, the spatchcock met beyond my expectation..  It came out well cut, with a juicy bite and wholesome outcome on my palate.   Apple slices tempered a meaty sensation but then it was garnished with sesame as well.   The pork belly appeared with traditional garnishing  of cherry and apple, making me feel it was already Christmas night.    Both meat dishes struck me as having the right level of succulence, presentation and uplifting enhancing sides.

Making use of seasonal and sustainable sourced ingredients and supplies does show out in the food, apart from the craft and culinary styles practised in the kitchen.   Framed coloured drawings of creatures that are on the menu grace the walls like in traditional hunting lodges, but the hipster element still comes through with bare concrete floors, Scandinavian themed timber chairs and tiled walls.








Public Restaurant  visited is located at 400 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland, near the corner with Turbot Street.
It was awarded One Chef's Hat in 2016.

Opening hours are from 1130am to 11pm every week day and from 5pm to 11pm on Saturdays.  Closed on Sundays.
Contact +617  3210  2288


My impressions of Public in Brisbane are:

Ambiance:  4 out of 5
Culinary: 4 out of 5
Staff Engagement: 4 out of 5
X Factor: 4 out of 5
Overall:  4 out of 5






 

Sushi Hotaru Galleries Victoria Sydney NSW

At the same time, there are lunchtime crowds both inside and waiting outside the restaurant Hotaru.  The staff are in traditional garb, the walls are made up to reflect an ambiance of being in an authentic sushi bar back in the old country.   The sushi train goes a long way and you can see the preparation of raw fish, seaweed rolls and more.  

Do they still maintain the quality of the ingredients?  Has a high level demand, especially at meal times, led to the abandonment of previous practices?  Do you feel okay seemingly squashed seated beside a stranger on one side?  More importantly, what does it still taste like when picked up by chopsticks into our mouths?   The buzz about the place does raise expectations.

There are small tables for two persons apart from being seated along the sushi train counter.   The price of each plate taken has gone up a nudge to $3.30 from the previous $3.  Again, are sushi train bars the approximate equivalent to Japanese fast food?   Or should they be recognised in their own right as another genre of Japanese cuisine?

My soft shell crab rolls that day were not totally fresh on the palate. Salmon was lovely but I dared not touch the Karaage chicken after advice from mates.  I cannot resist avocado rolls but could not find my other favourite, California rolls, on the same day.   There is  a buzz in this place and it is not just noise and chatter.   The bright orangey coloured roe are still delicately poised on sushi items.

Service to me was all right, especially in their efforts to find seats for us, but one must initiate contact when a meal is finished for the plate count.   Food and drinks ordered on the IPad in front of each diner seems to arrive on a timely basis for most.   The train does not go too fast, allowing for remaking decisions on missed plates.  

The Sushi Hotaru visited is located on level 2 of the Galleries Victoria, 500 George Street in Sydney CBD and can be accessed from Town Hall Station.
Sushi Hotaru is operated by the YES Food Group, which has businesses in Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Queensland and Sydney.  Their related operations include Poporo, Takumi, Ramen Kan, Izakaya Wagaya and Yakiniku Gyuzo.

Opening hours are from 1130am to 9pm every day.
Contact +612  9264 9917

My impressions of the Sushi Hotaru are that its advantageous location helps to attract custom.  I did find the preparations have some inconsistency in quality, depending on what you order.    It can be fun to go in groups but one must be realistic about catering for large groups all sitting down at any one time.