Lazy Suzie - Darlinghurst NSW

The Master Mixologist at the bar, Marco Oscar Giron, pushes on relentlessly in creating, mixing and delivering.


We have seen Tapas at licensed bars, the Ramen at the Izakayas and liquors at Argentinian meat grillers.   So was it inevitable to have street food from Penang now offered with an extensive cocktail, mocktail and wine list? Personally I am glad this combination has arrived  - in retrospect, it does make all sense, to have spicy tinged and tasty creations with the camaraderie of a gathering hole.  Welcome to the Lazy Suzie.

Six sections of food are offered, including small serves, salads , Malay charcoal grill, sweets and strictly hawker.   Dishes are categorised in the menu according to GF, Diary free, vegan and vegetarian.  You can watch the kitchen crew focused in their on-goiing activities in a separate enclosure behind the bar.  There are several seating options, at the bar, with small tables by the wall or in communal long tables.

The culinary inspiration and basis may be from the iconic street food dishes of George Town, Penang Island, but Executive Chef Zacharay Tan has reinvented some, transformed others and allowed a few to be as original as it was before.   Call it his gift in bringing up the best in Aussie sourced ingredients to uplift Asian traditionals.  Or call it his penchant to surprise and to experiment in yet other selectives.  Zacharay and his crew have seriously soaked in some of the best hidden flavour infused culinary techniques, whilst allowing a free play with garnish and fusion combinations from a brave new world of cooking.  

A platter of Roti Baby, based on a traditional Hainan Island and  Straits Chinese snack from early 20th century Malaya and Singapore.  At the Lazy Suzie, they are still served with the old favourite of a Worcestershire sauce based condiment on a side plate.




Simple name changes set a tone - for example the Roti Babi has now been christened the Roti Baby with a slightly different recipe.  The shape of this snack now even look  like miniature round moon cakes.   

The dough outside is more akin to brioche but the spicy and marinated mince  pork inside still brings me back to childhood  days on a  tropical island of transplanted cultures and multicultural friends.  In those days of yore, the bread was immersed in a beaten egg mixture before being deep fried.  The fillings had coarsely chopped coriander, carrots, onions and cabbage, which were mixed and stirred in a heady combination of pepper, thick soy sauce and light soy sauce.


Ren, one of the more lively and engaging persons I have encountered in Australian dining places, presented the Roti Baby with a stylish smile and enthusiastic gait.  Her male counterpart, a young man with a short hair cut, had a different approach at the tables but did well too.
The people who make your experience at the Lazy Suzie are as vital as the nuances of the food and drink, I reckon.  They show knowledge of the dishes, articulate them well and are quick on their feet as to any request or questions.  

Michael Baronie, the Sommelier cum Restaurant Manager, can look unassuming in a quiet way but sets example and professional demeanour when interacting with the 54 of us present that evening.  Michael comes from Michelin starred establishments and projects that reassuring look when making his suggestions to diners.

Penang's iconic Char Koay Teow, dished up in an authentic and flavourful manner by Lazy Suzie.

 One specific dish remains totally sacrosanct - the Char Koay Teow. Yes, there are a thousand  variations of this, as it must be stir fried fresh just before consumption, it varies according to the mood of the cook and the texture of the narrow flat rice noodles is significant. Whilst the wok is heating up and the oil brewing, how  you toss in the prawns, bean sprouts and veg is an acquired art itself.  

I love the version form Lazy Suzie as it has the non-negotiable wok heat in the noodles, although the pork lard can be evident on my nose. More than this, it is the resulting whole works staring at the three of us when the plate came - appetising, laden with ingredients, the right touch of sauce cooked with and so inviting just by itself.

Pie Tee, which was a historical test for daughters-in-laws in the past, has delicate and miniature pastry cups filled with a savoury salad comprising picked Mud crab meat, Julienned carrots, shaved yam bean and braised Shitake mushrooms.  Best as cocktail food, Lazy Suzie's offering is more wholesome than just a bite, with us being able to appreciate each morsel of ingredient, satisfying and elegantly prepared.

What I love best, a heady mixture of crackling yet tender pork belly, eaten in combination with exquisitely steamed Taro slices and served with crispy fried seafood and other garnish.  Khao Yoke is the Cantonese name of this popular dish in Malaysia, Singapore and southern China.  The Taro is preferably of the powdery variety, be very conscious of the thickness of the Taro slices used and ensure at least three hours braising.

Soft boned pork in a prawn stock broth, served otherwise as Har Mee or prawn stock noodle soup, was a highlight of the evening.  The well braised meat melted in our mouths, and we just looked at each other in amazement.  The stock was not overwhelming, just hit the right note with both seafood and pork sensations and provided the nurturing warmth for the dumpling.  This dumpling had King Prawn, but instead of a solid bite on to firm prawn meat ( like at yum cha places), I was a tad disappointed  that it was a prawn mush instead.

Traditionally the Lam Mee is only prepared for important occasions like a significant birthday of a loved and respected elder.  Thinly shaved prawn slices, succulent pork cuts, shredded omelette ribbons and the compulsory Sambal condiment are not changed from the original recipe.  This dish can be challenging, as the chef needs to achieve subtlety in the stock soup, provide the right texture in the noodles and ingredients and yet ensure taste in the right strengths.

Together with the Char Koay Teow,  the taste and extraordinariness of the  the Lam Mee, and that of the stock soup in the Har Mee, remind me of Aunty Jenny's home cooking in St. Ives in upper north shore Sydney.

ABC Ice Kacang with the colour purple., still standing out under the mellow light of a dining evening.  The surreal effect on the taste of the shavings come from the natural dye of the blue pea flower, a prized ingredient in Straits Chinese and Malay culture.  The lavender effect on the ball gingerly sitting on top of your serve is from taro flavours. 

The ice shaver mechanical machine, imported from Penang, had a red colour band and stood out easily noticed,even if placed at the far end of the long counter.  The outcome of the ABC ice dessert can depend on the granularity of the resulting shaves, the experience of the person preparing them, the mixture of crunchiness and soothingness of the various accompanying ingredients plus the syrup flavours.

Instead of the usual red rose syrup you find in  George Town's streets, the Lazy Suzie offers a more delicate and  yet more satisfying flavour - that of the blue pea flower.  This flavour is also utilised in the Rama Rama Spritz cocktail made with Dandelion and Burdock bitters, giving an indigo hued presentation.

Several diners did opine that the cheese was over the top with the Lobster Thermidor spring rolls, with yellow coloured wraps and a side serve of cream.  Alan begged to differ and in the end I took it that could be a personal preference matter with the amount of cheesy taste.  Most of us could not find taste of the  lost Gruyere and lobster in this situation.

The Teh Tarik at the Lazy Suzie is not what you find at Hawker, Albee's or Mamak's, but what Marco does is add Johnnie Walker Black and Gunpowder green tea to Nashi pear, teapot bitters and rosemary. Kopi Tiam has cardamom coffee cream, a dash of Pierre Ferrand cognac and add-ons of espresso, cold drip coffee liqueur and beans.

The chef at work with the mango Lhassi.  The Lhassi flavours will change according to the availability of seasonal fruits.

My other recommendations from the Lazy Suzie are:

The Prosperity Bao, a snack of a slow cooked Wagyu brisket tucked inside a pillow dough and accompanied with a black pepper sauce;

Hainan style pork belly satay, served with a sauce based on sweet potatoes;

The Campo de Encanto, or the "Field of Enchantment", with Pisco Brandy from Peru and Chile, Goji berries, egg white, chocolate bitters and Kalamansi lime in carbonated water;

Green fish salad ( Jneh Hoo literally in Penang Hokkien) which is an uplifting salad combination  of cucumber and yam bean shavings, small school prawns and jelly fish in a sweet potato based spicy dressing.  This is indeed an echo of what Penang street food is about - it is light on the palate, crunchy on the bite and yummy on the taste.

Aunty Yulia's beef short ribs braised with a sweet soy sauce stand out as a starter. 

The Kerabu chicken salad has a Thai and Straits Chinese tinge with well sliced green mango, poached chicken bits, Thai native herbs for aroma, a drizzle of Kalamansi kumquats and a measure of crispy chicken strips for good measure.

Banana fritter with roasted coconut ice cream and salted caramel sauce

Tebu Jelup cocktail, very south-east Asian, using Bulleit Bourbon, sugar cane cuts and Angostura and orange bitters, garnished with Thai basil, Vietnam mint and finger lime squeeze. (Jelup in Malay means a sweetened drink with alcohol or medication and Tebu refers to sugar cane.)



Lazy Suzie is located at 78 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst, at the corner with Crown Street in the Sydney eastern suburb of Darlinghurst, a few blocks from Hyde Park and
Opening hours are from noon to midnight every week day (except closed on Mondays); Saturdays 10am to midnight; and on Sundays from 10am to 3pm.
Contact +61 2 7901 0396

Emperor's Garden Chinese Restaurant - Haymarket Sydney

A typical spread for a Yum Cha table.

If this is not an establishment, then what is?  The Emperor Garden brand already existed before the significant numbers of migration of Asians to Sydney and Australia in general since the 1990s and especially in the past ten years or so.   Today EG has several divisions in its business  - soya bean products, meat butchers, noodle and roast meat retail, cakes and baking - in addition to yum cha and dining.

EG truly echoed what Chinatown meant and was - southern Chinese, Cantonese culinary and a gathering hub for a minority so far from the Mother land.  Today, Chinatown here means international students, a whole host of cuisines and not just Chinese, plus a whole variety of south-east Asian demographics. There are new entrants, old compatriots and fancy business models for yum cha lunching these days.

Youngsters may these days not be over thrilled at the arrangements whereby they accompanied their parents on weekends, tables seated ten to twelve and the cooking was retro. On the other hand, parents and grand parents find the younger generation members absorbed in their smart phones, social media and game apps, even when seated beside each other.   Taiwan styled dian xin, modern versions of the food like at Tim Ho Wan and ordering without trolleys have also changed the landscape of the yum cha experience.  What may not have changed is the noisy chatter, the tables placed close to each other and those bamboo baskets....
  

A Siew Mai dumpling is held over a congee brewed with century old eggs, ginger and chicken slices.

Emperor's Garden may have been caught in a time warp, but that is how the older customers like it.

A rather rushed visit meant for us us meant there was no way to saviour a whole range of delights like on weekends.  So we had three symbolic tastings - we wanted representatives of slow cooked, steamed and baked dishes.   The steamed pork and prawn dumplings at EG are highly recommended - they are of plump, flavourful and traditional vibes.  Next best that day was the congee, reeking of home cooking with a certain wholesomeness, especially on a cooler day outside.

The front portion of the restaurant on the ground floor.   There is an upper level, with windows overlooking the light rail tracks, Paddys market and weekend crowds outside.

What surprised me was the quality of the pastry  of the Char Siew So.  Now, have I been spoilt by the impeccable creations of THW, not far away now in the city centre, without having to go to Burwood and Chatswood?   Baked stuff are liked by mainstream Australians, so this is an important test product.  I did find the oiliness not acceptable and the outer pastry not sufficiently of the texture I expected.  The meaty bits inside were okay, not salty and a plenty on offer.

Breaking up my baked Char Siew So

What surprised me on another count was that the trolley Dollies did  not move much when we were there, just parking themselves at certain spots and not even approaching most of the seated customers.

Maybe there was not much room on this ground floor.  No menus were given out like at THW.  IT then became a game of guessing cat and mouse - oh lady, can you please show us what you have in your closed up containers and baskets?   A mate teasingly remarked that one must be able to speak Cantonese in order to get the food going.  Or Mandarin as well?

However, once you got their attention, the staff were helpful, walking up and down to fulfil your request.

There is always a queue to this from passers-by who just want a light snack whilst walking around Sydney's Chinatown.

The Emperor's Garden Chinese Restaurant is located at 96-100 Hay Street, Haymarket Sydney.
Opening hours are from 7am to 130am every day.
Contact +61 2 9211 2268 and +61 2 9211 2135

The French House Waterloo NSW

The gilt edge mirrors, chandeliers from another age and the very Euro feel of its Baroque interiors were what captivated us to come in.  It reminds me of plush curtained windows in drawing rooms while the heavy snow piled outside.....hey but the weather was more tropical with the sunny intensity of what can only be in Australia, even if I am told it is already autumn here.

The displays are magnificent, with quiches, pastries,  cakes, tarts, sandwiches, wraps, bread loaves  - delicate and bold creations sitting beside each other and looking pretty.

 I love the ambiance here, though it can be a bit shaded and dark for some others.  I am captivated by the thoughts of sitting on those unmatched cushioned chairs listening and talking to close friends, or just chilling out on what life has to offer, or merely to sit and relax with people we are comfortable enough to not put up with pretensions one may see in other parts of the Big Smoke.

I thoroughly enjoyed my two layered vanilla and custard Mille-Feuille, to me  the Creme Patisserrie was light yet full of taste and texture.   Never mind the sprinkling of icing sugar at the top.  I love this creation perhaps partly because it is not just a chunk of cake but offers different and delicate sensations when I bite in to it, yum.

The coffee is Campos but on this occasion I had the mocha, perhaps in  a vain attempt to transverse both worlds on a day when I already had my high intake of caffienated stuff.   My companions did not speak much about their Chai lattes or hot chocolate - I would have to pursue them further on their impressions.   I had been warned before hand of varying customer service levels here, but we found it was good for us though.  Maybe it depends on who was around working when one drops by -  but I am not sure.

I will not have done justice, to say more at this juncture, about the French House on this quick drop by, but I look forward to at least having the croissants and baguettes on a next more leisurely encounter there.  Again my scouts have asked me to look out for the absence of dryness, freshness of the dough or pastry and the clever use of dressings or garnish in my future judgements - all very handy.

I am not a fan of tarts, but some customers  have gone for their strawberry or Ricota chocolate tartlets, when I did look around then sitting in what I reckoned was a leisurely experience.

On balance, the French House can be considered for a brunch or breakfast session in a more sophisticated surrounding, instead of the usual new fangled post industrial or rustic farmhouse look that seems to permeate the designs and lay out many of the new wave of cafes and restaurants in the greater Sydney area.  Each person must manage his or her expectations versus reality in the foodie world, but also take into account factors beyond the details of food and drink, to evaluate a holistic experience.  The French House does live up to its image as something French in the end - despite Campos being there....



The French House is located at 1G Danks Street Waterloo NSW, at the corner with Philip Street.
Opening hours are from 730am to 4pm from Mondays to Thursdays and from 730am to 5pm from Fridays to Sundays.

Contact +61 2 8399 2770





 

Lettuce B. Frank Wholefoods Cafe - Wollongong NSW

Breakfast laced with Dukkah flavours with roast tomatoes, poached egg and sourdough.

Perhaps this is the Sydney Cornersmith of the Illawarra, or leading to this?  Many of the varied cafes, delis and wholesale providers in this region are on a journey, some half way, others in an eclectic mix between the casual, popular and seriously organic.  Several stand out in their creations put on the table for retail customers, others have niches in baking and more.

Let us be frank - the location of their Wollongong city centre cafe is strategic but can be a bit inconvenient for those driving from the suburbs, southern Sydney or passing through to the South Coast of New South Wales.  Once you manage to get there, it can be a lovely experience, with a casual home feel, many youngsters lounging around, produce and products lovingly displayed and even a view at the verandah to the railway tracks below.  You are then further drawn inside the cafe by no artificiality, no manufactured processing, less gluten, no added sugars and al naturale.

Salads can be much a personalised matter, but it is in the combinations.  You can have your  Nashi pear, walnuts, basil, rocket, snow pea sprouts  and sun dried tomatoes sitting on your kitchen counter - but how does one ensure the right bite, flavours and health combos?  There is a kind of Mediterranean influence in the LBF salad options, with Kalamatta olives thrown in good measure or with tomato Bocconcini  and basil.

An Aussie adopted favourite is the Lasagne, here totally vegetarian or beef -  and the other is the butter chicken with rice.    There is also a traditional Greek salad (the Horiatiki with key ingredients like Feta, onions, tomato and olives)  in addition to seasonal gourmet salad offerings.

What I personally find outstanding are:

 The coconut with Quinoa and pumpkin scones.   The outcomes transcend cultures and are an interesting twist on the Aussie journey to being more multi-cultural and cosmopolitan.

Friands and Paleo banana loaves with fruit bits.

Miniature Brioche and artisan bread with classic Australian fillings like ham, lettuce, egg and BLT.

Choice is definitely a feature at LBF for those who are more careful about their food, but with less variety than Cornersmith in Marrickville, inner Sydney, which is rather a leader in organic pickling and preserve making as well. 

Early bird specials are an option for those early morning commuters at LBF.    There is outside seating but then you may have to put up with the passing traffic.   The staff are easy going but bring your orders quick, often helping customers out as to where they prefer to be seated.  Many lunchers are casually dressed.  This part of town does not have cafes as in a hub, except for the nearby Sandy Goodwich.

Lettuce B. Frank is located at 337 Princess Highway beside the road bridge over the tracks of the Wollongong main rail station, at the southern end of Wollongong city centre near its main hospital.
Opening hours are from from 6am to 4pm every weekday and from 7am to 2pm on weekends.
Contact +61 2 4228 5288
Vehicle parking can be a challenge on busy days and it may be best to take the train or the free Gong Shuttle which does drop by a nearby bus stop. Do choose the correct route taken by this shuttle as there are two loops, one to the south (which takes you to Lettuce B. Frank) and another side of Wollongong CBD.
At time of writing, LBF Wholefoods is being planned for schools, universities and canteens.




 

Il Nido Trattoria Pizzeria Revisited - Balgownie NSW

"Oh yes, there are so many diners now."   It seems the evening had built to a crescendo of aromas, flavours and guests.  The level of chatter was hitting the ceiling.

Outside, on a narrow paved foot path, there was a long table laid out, with white and red check cloth, as if this was in the middle of an olive grove.  Okay, I begun to finally get it - this was a family gathering, a community hub and a place to relax with many people.  No standing around  like cocktail hour in Aussie joints, with customers holding their precious half empty glass, I noticed  - the Italian tradition is to be seated,  and I mean seated close to each other.  The conversation is important, the listening look is critical and the wine is important.   The Giulani family photos are lovingly still on the wall.

The servings are wholesome, cooked well and welcome.  Wine is BYO but there is a good in-house selection of craft beer, Peroni on tap and imported beer as well as Aussie stubbies of VB, James Boags and Tooheys.   Il Nido for many years is well known for its liquors, port, Bourbons, rum and digestives and the tradition is still continued after being embedded by Adriano's parents.

There are three important menus - seasonal, black board and takeaway.  Oh yes, it is still best to phone in for your take away orders and then come at your leisure.

On our most recent visit,  there was a unnerving concentration of people walking in and huddling around the inside of the front entrance  - were they waiting for their take aways, or hoping for an unbooked table, or just undecided what to do next?   I recognised  a person from the past but this chap turned his face away once he recognised me, even under the dim reddish light - how sad, it is his baggage.  

The gradually darkening outside soon became solid night fall.   The headlights of turning and parking cars could be seen through the windows.  The chatter continued.  Breads alternated with wines, pizzas, beers, cured meats and mains.  Village life still flourishes.

Risotto, Ragu, cheeses and antipasto are staples, as from the old country, but now served in an upbeat contemporary style.

I recognise Adriano, busy inside the open but long deep kitchen as usual - and also one of his long time staff, a young man with spectacles and serious about his work.  They are both easy to talk to. My pork belly should be shared by three but I have it all by myself, a tad rich.  A mate has the veal, which was not top notch this evening due to supply variations, but we thought it is good for the staff to know.   The bespectacled young man takes this in his stride and I am impressed.

Il Nido Tratorria Pizzeria is located at Shop 1 of 154 Balgownie Road in Balgownie Village NSW, up the slope from the Balgownie Collegians and adjacent to the Bally Pub across the roadway.
Opening hours are from 530pm till late every evening except Mondays and Tuesdays.
Contact +61 2 4284 8664