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

Sydney Fish Markets Revisited

There are fish markets of all sizes in Australia - in shopping centres, in quaint family run  shops by the beach, in farmers markets, near fishing village marinas and more.

The biggest Daddy of them all is the one at Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont, south west of Sydney's city centre.  At last count, around two million people visit the markets each year.

Accessible by driving, light rail, walking or from the waterside, the Sydney Fish markets are not particularly large in area or variety of shops when compared with some of those overseas like Tsukiji in Tokyo and the La Nueva Viga markets in Mexico City.  What the SFM offers best perhaps is a laid back atmosphere, an authentic wet market feel, lots of tasty bites and easily watching the world go by.
Crabs, clams, oysters, octopus, shrimps, squids and lobsters are popular with visitors apart from grilled fish of different varieties.

Seagulls and black Ibis wander around without a care, whilst pelicans love to show off with their exercises in take off and gliding down to land off wooden piers.  Families gather especially on the weekend,  tourists take delight on most days, young students saviour their first experience with sea urchin or Barramundi and in one spot, every one can appreciate the variety of fresh seafood and produce.  Wild harvest, frozen packs and aquaculture produce are available apart from the usual fresh seafood items displayed on open shelves or in boxes.

You can also join walking tours conducted by the SFM to watch oyster shucking, better understand the Dutch reverse auction system for seafood and view sashimi making, for up to two hours.

Well, it is not just about seafood and beverages in this venue - you can carry off your selections of seasonal fruits and veg, plus meats.  A captivating feature of the SFM is enjoying fresh and raw oysters shucked off their shells, or carting off per dozen cardboard trays for home.  There are wholesalers for businesses and retail for every one.   There is a souvenir shop at the front of the main entrance, making the SFM an obvious touristy place.  Since 1989, there has been a Seafood School operating at the SFM. A Chinese restaurant on the upper floors offers lunch and dinner, with it being used as a wedding reception venue as well.

The eating tables can look messy on the outer promenade by the water, as fauna try to clear up let over bits and there is no one employed or seen cleaning used tables.

The source of the seafood is labelled by law, and many a treat comes from wild catches and farmed produce from the eastern seaboard of the Australian continent, or Tasmania.   Avoid going to visit the SFM during the Easter or Christmas periods, unless you do not mind being stuck sitting in a traffic jam.  The convulating nature of road access to the SFM also does not help, oh please do something the powers that be!

For wholesalers, auctions are a sight and experience to behold. It is said around 20 thousand tonnes and a hundred varieties of seafood exchange hands at each such auction at the SFM.   In terms of tonnes, the SFM is the third largest in the world but is second ranked in terms of seafood variety (after Japan).

It is often rewarding to explore parts of the SFM away from the sometimes maddening crowd.  As long as it is not slippery or cordoned off, you may wander and enjoy perspectives away form the sales, snacking and vehicle parking areas.  Oh yes, parking fees are rather on the high side.  I recommend eating fresh on the spot, rather than bagging purchases home, but if you do the latter, do organise your eskys and car boot.

The Sydney Fish Markets are open  from 5am each day until mid-afternoon.  As any seasoned seafood devotee knows, the best catch is early in the day.  Unlike the fresh veg and fruits markets like Flemington and Paddys in other parts of greater Sydney, there are no real value bargains of you go later in the day as the freshness of seafood can change.

The SFM is not a monopoly for seafood sales in greater Sydney.  In New South Wales, seafood catchers can supply direct to any one in possession of a valid Fish Receiver's Permit.

Auctions of seafood at the SFM since 1989 follow what was used for tulip sales in Holland a few centuries ago - the Dutch reverse auction system, whereby auction prices start around three dollars above assumed market prices and then go down a dollar every computerised revolution until a buyer stops the button.  Running concurrently with the main Dutch auction practice, since 2001, is an online trading system introduced by the SFM.

For travellers around the world, other interesting fish market sites include Hong Kong's Aberdeen Seafood Markets; the Mercamadrid in Spain; the Maine Avenue Fish Markets in Washington D.C; the Busan Cooperative Fish Markets in South Korea; New York's Fulton Fish Markets and the Faskekorka in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Rookie Eatery - Wollongong NSW

The creative and ops hub.

Elegantly appointed, with a charisma of white painted picket fenced walls - that is my first impression of the Rookie Eatery on entering through its front door.  I felt like coming to a bud's home, after climbing up a small wooden stairs like in a Queenslander - and yet the inside reminds me of being back in New Zealand, sans the cold weather but with the South Coast NSW warmth.

Every dining table has fitting white cloths over it.  The dining area can be seen separated in two sections, with the kitchen prep section transparent and the windows retro and adding to the over all good feel.  The menu does change in the past year and the place was abuzz with diners even on a week night.  Dishes offered ooze with detail, care and thought.  It is BYO for wine at lunch time and on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  There is a share plate of Sirloin beef, with de Paris butter, for two guests plus a degustation menu available.   The drinks menu in house is extensive and balanced.

Our main customer engagement staff hailed from Dunedin, she is petite, has a sense of humour and was working all over the restaurant that evening. We would have loved to say hello to the chef as well.   Our plates and cutlery were changed before each offering. We could not run dry of drinks, even the San Pellegrino water.  Tables can be considered placed tightly against one another but every one that evening did  not seem to mind.

Corn fed chicken is served with a green curry sauce, garnished by young coconut and coconut flavoured black rice - and topped by a green curry mousse for measure.

The duck breast as elaborated on the menu is accompanied by Peking sauce, celery, pickled onion, pearl barley and shallot.  This is very East Asian, but only one example of several dishes that echo various styles, sauces and ingredients.  So modern Australian in foodie approach. So fusion, yet not.
I felt like entering an Aladdin's cave of culinary inspiration.

I noted the careful selection of unusual ingredients like Samphire, red Sorrel, Yuzu fruits and Nasturtiums.  Things I don't even find in celebrity chef pop-ups, social media much acclaimed restuarants or in places that charge an arm and a foot for the experience...

As the night progressed, I realised we went through Mediterranean secrets, Japanese gems, Indian ocean traditions, Australian flair, tropical adventures and good ole Mum's recipes from way back.

My top choice for mains that evening - uplifting grilled snapper and exquisite tasty cuttle fish surrounded by Bonito or Skipjack tuna mayo, zucchini, charred cos and Nori powder of edible seaweed.  Light, fresh and delightful on the palate.

From our table I can see on the shelves, behind the barista coffee machine,  liquors like American Honey, Midori and Galliano (both Black and White); beers like James Boag, Sierra Nevada and Kirin plus the Somersby Cider; spirits like Jameson, Captain Morgan, Bombay Sapphire and Dickel whiskey; champagnes like Tempus du Brut and the Perrier Jouet; plus reds and whites mainly from producers in the South Australia, Mudgee and the Margaret River.   The end of meal cuppa was strong and flavourful.

Henkell Trocken Piccolo

(200ml)

$12

Louis Bouillot Blanc Deblanc

$59

Tempus two Brut

$8

$41

Perrier Jouet NV

$105

WHITE

Two Italian Boys Moscato

$44

The Hill Pink

Moscato

$

40

Kaesler Rizza Riesling

(Barossa valley,

SA) 2013

$43

Inigo Seven Hills Riesling

(Clare valley, SA) 2014

$49

Greenstone Point Sauvignon Blanc

(Marlborough, NZ) 2014

$8

$

38

Breathing Space Sauvigno

n Blanc

(Margaret River, WA) 2014

$42

Alta Sauvigno

n Blanc

(Adelaide Hills, SA) 2014

$47

Shaw & Smit

h Sauvignon Bla

nc

(Adelaide Hills, SA) 2014

$56

Burns & Fuller

Chardonnay

(Adelaide Hills, SA) 2013

$8

$40

Bunnam

a

goo Chardonnay

(Mudgee, NSW) 2014

$49

Lansdowne

Pin

ot Grigio

(Adelaide Hills, SA) 2014

$50

RED

Prodigal Son Cabernet Merlot

(Margaret River,

WA) 2012

$8

$39

Angoves Organic Merlot

(winemaker’s blend, SE Aus) 2013

$48

Clare Wine Co. Cabernet

Sauvignon

(Clare Valley, SA) 2012

$47

Hugh Hamilton Cabernet S

auvignon

(Clare Valley, SA) 2012

$61

Greenstone Point

Pinot Noir

(Malborough, NZ) 2013

$42

Warramate Pinot Noir

(Yarra Valley, VIC) 201

2

$53

Ulithorne GSM ‘Dona’

(McLaren Vale, SA) 2013

$49

Johnny Q Shiraz

(Barossa Valley, SA) 2012

$8

$39

Kaesler Stonehorse

Shiraz

(Barossa Valley, SA) 2012

$60

Yangar

ra Shiraz

(McLaren Vale, SA) 2012

$59

Mitolo

Ange

la Shiraz

(McLaren Vale, SA) 2013

$72

Kalleske Shiraz

(Barossa, SA) 2013

Oxtail beautifully meshed with coconut milk, chilli jam, Mung bean noodles and Nam Phrik Thai chilli hot condiment -  further garnished with peanuts and Kaffir lime aromatics, finally sitting on betel leaves.  West meets East, a back packer's culinary dream gone so refined.  This is a most innovative entree, a must have and will set the tone for guests.  The top entree preferred by my table companions and myself.

For a future entree, I have in mind to try the North Atlantic scallops, fennel, Nasturtiums, bacon and almond Tarator.  The last named ingredient is a dip based on cooking styles in Eastern Europe, mainly Bulgaria, Serbia, Cyprus and Turkey.  It consists of Tahini or yoghurt, ground walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, cucumber and herbs.

Nasturtiums refer to a plant for which seed pods, leaves and flowers are all edible.   Flowers to use in cooking must be harvested just as they are open, how both delicate and demanding this can be.  They taste like a cross between slight sweetness and mustard.

The other entree that caught my attention is the serving of Sand Whiting with spanner crabs, soy Mirin ginger, oyster emulsion and garlic shoots.  This Whiting is a coastal marine fish unique to the eastern side of the Australian continent, mostly from Cape York to Tasmania, but also found stretching out to New Caledonia in the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea and as nearby as Lord Howe Island.

Potato dumpling starter uplifted by Parmesan cream, crispy Jamon, sage and duck egg flavours.

I found comfort in the potato dumpling - this was a most satisfying brew of both subtle and strong flavours, all in harmony to remind me of a country side styled culinary classic, and yet with a touch of class in boldly having ingredients not found elsewhere.  The duck egg sensations jumped out to my palate, the dry cured Spanish ham of Jamon was appreciated and the Italian cream cheese sort of held every thing together.

I did ponder a bit indecisively over whether to have the Red Miso infused lamb neck, with carrot puree, Mirin grilled eggplant and lime Kosho.  Mirin is a delicate rice wine, with a higher sugar content but less alcohol than most.  Its use to highlight the flavours of Aubergines is interesting.   Garlic, chilli, salt and citrus zest are carefully blended to make the Kosho.  Well, a definite next time for the lamb, as I was already having more than my fill of the menu, there is much to choose from.

The Wagyu beef Tri-Tip, served with Samphire, Swedes turnip, Shitake mushrooms, Pepita or pumpkin seeds and spy butter jus.

My dining companions found the beef absolutely tops, with its rare countenance, its presentation with a gratifying mesh and the wonderful inclusion of marinated mushroom slices.   Aussie roast and grills tend towards rare instead of well done - and in this instance it worked perfectly adding a mellow texture, to complement the greens and relaxing gravy.  The top mains as voted by my table companions!

The night carried on with banter, fascinating conversation and a rather liberating feeling.....

I was so wrapped up by the experience at Rookie's that evening - great company and conversation as well - that I literally forgot to take photographs of our dessert choices.

 The Peanut Parfait appeared to be harder than anticipated at first crack, but allowing for a few minutes, this good looking fella could have melted a woman's heart and palate, providing crunchiness, flavour and wholesomeness - it reminds me of the first day of school holidays as well, with that feeling of sheer abandonment and relief.  The chocolate sauce was not over sweet and the peanut brittle had that optimal roast quality. Yum!

In contrast, the Yuzu Curd proved to be a bit confronting to me, primarily because of its tart, sourish taste, maybe accentuated by red sorrel, although this was offset by the carefully chosen garnish of thyme, hazelnut crumb and Mascarpone.   The Yuzu fruit resembles a small grapefruit and is said to be a cousin of the sour mandarin, originates from Central China and Tibet and is also popular in Korean cuisine.

Red sorrel is a perennial herb often used in soups and teas in some cultures - the clever inclusion of this in dessert opens my eyes  - it does have health benefits of improving eyesight, strengthening the body's immunity system, providing potassium and improving digestion processes.  The downside of red sorrel is its oxalic acid, which in small amounts is fine but not in larger quantities.

My vote goes to the ice cream cookie sandwich for desserts sampled that evening - smeared with caramel sauce and banana cream, it was perfect simplicity in contrast but holds a sentimental value from childhood.


I would love to return.







The Wollongong Rookie Eatery is located at 125 Keira Street in a old fashioned wooden house beaming with character in Wollongong city centre.
Contact telephone number +61 2 4228 8371
Opening hours are from Wednesdays to Saturdays for both lunch and dinner. Lunch is from noon  to 3pm and dinner is from 6pm to 10pm.

South-east Asia - At a Critical Junction

South east Asia in history has been an area rife in contention amongst the political powers of the day. For example, in the past they involved Hindu kingdoms, Arab missionary traders, colonial Euro powers, runaway local chieftains, Japanese imperialist armies and Americans fighting Communism.

Its strategic location and huge amounts of natural resources attract adventurers, migrants and entrepreneurs. Spices and herbs growing naturally here have changed eating habits and culinary practices around the world. There is a flurry of dialects, religious beliefs and languages spoken by its residents from various ethnic hues - and they live on a varied topographical landscape ranging from islands to riverine deltas and inland volcanoes.  Abundant forests, various resources from gems to petroleum and varying fishery stocks have supported its populations from time immemorial.   The peninsular extending below Thailand was strongly referred to as the "Golden Chersonese' in ancient texts.  Rice fields were intensively cultivated in huge delta basins.  Trading bloomed on sea routes and mastery of waterways became politically significant.

As a natural catchment for the meeting of different races, cultures and minds, it continually exercises fusion, provides a coalface for tolerance or intolerance and is a popular transit for mobile tourists. Minorities with religions different from the ruling governments find themselves in geographical pockets.
The body called ASEAN has Muslim, Buddhist and Christian government powers.  Different ethnic groups are not encouraged to find and adopt common values in some nations - instead differences are emphasised, just like what the British colonials were accused of, to "divide and conquer".  In contrast, in yet other nations, names of most residents have been naturalised, like in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar.

 Some nations are just a collection of different tribes and cultures brought artificially together by history and convenience.  For example, the populations of both southern Thailand and southern Phillippines are ethnically different from those who control their nation.

Perhaps constants are the Equatorial climate, its diversity in flora and fauna and the burgeoning income divide. Education is sought after by the mostly young populace. Except for Thailand, all nations in this region have been colonised. One view is that the popular form of Western democracy has never been fully implemented here - but again to these countries, this is a foreign idea.  The experience of centuries of Western imperialism and colonialism left many bitter hearts, especially when such rule emphasised exploitation of peoples and resources - so when the Japanese imperial army invaded south Asia, many locals interpreted this as liberation from the Western yoke.

Most populations here can claim ancestry from other various parts of the world. Many Yunnan tribes were driven further south into south-east Asia due to conflicts and economic survival.  Highland peoples are distinct from lowland groups, immigrants can be differentiated from those who settled before.  There is evidence of Hindu and Chinese settlements in peninsular Malaysia from way long ago.  Arab traders inter-married the locals and started new family lines whilst waiting for the monsoon winds to take their boats back to the Arabian Gulf.

The inevitable melting pot occurred here long before than in the USA, in Israel and in other Western nations like Australia, the UK and Canada.  Economic and social-push migrations pushed people from bigger cultures like those in China and India.  People have always sought a better life elsewhere, especially to escape oppressive and feudalistic regimes of dynasties, caste systems and warlords.  When the economic benefits of tin mining, rubber plantations and spice trading grew, this was inevitable to lead to immigration.   The colonials were not all bad either, for they provided a higher level of governance, social stability and more freedom to take part in commerce than some local chieftains and rulers.   The British focused their attention to this part of the world after the loss of the American colonies and when south-east Asia became a proxy ground for rivalries amongst the emerging European powers.

Inter-marriage became an important outcome, as seen in Straits Indians, Straits Chinese, Eurasians with various strains from Portugal, Holland, France and Britain and in a growing Sino-Thai or community.   Cultural fusion bloomed in various ways - the way of dress, the way of thinking, the way of cooking.  Asian looking faces can have European surnames. Children of such marital unions were often sent back to the mother country for a more proper education - the life journey of Colonel William Light is an illustrative example, when he went to England as a child after being sent by his parents, Captain Francis Light and his Portuguese-Thai wife with a surname of Rozelles.

This leads to the question of how the original inhabitants of this region are truly faring - are they being sufficiently recognised, has their identity been buried and grouped under later arrivals and their authentic cultures forgotten? Many true natives are left in remote settlements and not fully embraced by the numbered majority in many nations.  The natives usually have not been fully empowered with modern society economic enablers and therefore cannot possibly rise above their stereotyped lives.  The natives of present day Vietnam were pushed inland into the mountain areas.  Natives of Irian Jaya are ethnically separate from those who hail from Java in Indonesia. Mynamar has significant numbers of so-called tribal minorities.

Extensive deforestation and agricultural defilement can harm the Earth in many ways, on flora, fauna and humans. For example, loss of disease curing plants occur beside extinction of those flora that better promote human and animal health. The high risks of air pollution that result from political and business mismanagement can adversely affect the lives of ordinary people and disrupt the economic pace of rich cities.   What is happening in this part of the Earth's Equatorial belt has happened in Brazil and central Africa.   In a way, such commercial exploitation has been the same for the past few hundred years - only the key players are different.

Being at the cross roads of geography, social movements, religious trends and financial interests is a double edged sword. Just like the European sub-continent, South east Asia faces both unique and high profiles in risk, personal freedoms and opportunity.  South-east Asia is now a hotch-potch of royalty, apparent democratic rule, military control, communist led and dictatorial hubs.  The countries here also thirst for foreign investment - but at what price?  Revenues can rise or fall due to decisions made far away.  The reliance on outside demand for commodities, manufactures and tourism money can be an Achilles heel.  Some of the nations wait for their sons and daughters who have migrated, to return to help.   The currency exchange rate for most Southeast Asian nation is dismal.  Yet, people power can be latent and powerful at the same time - it can flare up as in the Philippines, Myanmar and Thailand.

Apart from Singapore, are most of the countries here wallowing in lower cost economic activity whilst still being trapped in revenue earners like tourism, resources exploitation  and manufacturing, without the foresight of transforming into a high tech future? Can the demands and mindsets of the younger generation sufficiently change for the better the socio-political landscape of their countries?  The young from families who can afford have been sent in droves to Western countries for higher education.  Many do not return, having preferred the lifestyles and higher economic profile of their university host countries.   The future of south-east Asia may critically lie with those students who return,  make a commitment to their original culture and have the brains and means to do so.

The other significant question is whether South-east economies can complement the growth of their bigger neighbours China and India, no matter what political systems they find themselves in.

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