Nordburger

Today, I shall introduce to you guys the newest burger joint in Adelaide, Nordburger. Opened a couple of months ago, Nordburger is slowly gaining popularity among the locals and I have seen long queues appear at their doorsteps at dinner time.

I am not a big fan of waiting to be fed so I decided to pop by before the dinner crowd creeps out and thankfully, Nordburger is open throughout the day. The menu is not extensive at all and hence, we were able to pick our meals fairly quickly:)

Salted caramel milkshake ~ not too bad at all and what a brilliant flavour to add to the market:)

Cheeseburger ~ not too heavy and yet, not too light that it resembles a fast food type of burger. I daresay its a cross between gourmet and convenience food. Would have liked a bit more greens in the burger but nevertheless, was still a yummy treat.

Chilli dog ~ A decent fare to have at about $6.90, from memory.

Overall, Nordburger is a nice addition to the already growing burger market in Adelaide. Delicious food at reasonable prices, it is a good bargain for the budget-conscious consumer:)

Steven Ter Horst Chocolatier again

I have probably been here less than 8 times throughout my stay in Adelaide (blogged about a couple of these trips here and here) and gotta admit that my sweet-binge experience just keeps getting better each time! Each piece of cake or tart has evolved aesthetically, which obviously, makes it harder for me to select just one piece.

I have not personally tried many types of chocolates here (I want cake!) but I am keen to find out what is your favourite piece!:)

Chocolate truffle tart ~ rich, dense and moist piece with a good serving of dark chocolate incorporated into it. Was a crowd winner from the first time we had it and it still is:)

Iced chocolate ~ this drink just keeps wow-ing us each time. It's chocolate-y flavours has certainly evolved since our last trip and unlike the other types of iced chocolate drinks we had, this one was creamy but not overpoweringly excessive.

Mascarpone dream ~ we opted for this little gem for a nice contrast from all the rich, petite delicacies that we ordered. Light as a feather filling and still well-crafted. Delicious.

Chocolate tart ~ this version does look a lot more classier than the previous ones we had. However, it still tasted the same (big thumbs up for consistency) and is still a must have at Steven Ter Horst!:)

Cin cau and soyabean drink

One of the easiest item to make for functions or for the unexpected guest would be a drink. Not only does one need fluids to quench their thirst, but it can also act like a semi-dessert.. not too sweet or filling and light enough to keep the conversation running. Malaysia is truly blessed with kopitiam/ food outlets that serves a nice array of non-alcoholic drinks for customers to choose from and knowing what goes into these drinks helps us hosts keep our guests happy!

*Starbucks, Gloria Jean's or other franchised outlets do not count! We are definitely digging deep into our ancestor roots now*

This recipe is simple and only requires 2 ingredients. Yes, just 2 unless if you want to complicate matters by trying to produce the ingredients from scratch. Remember, we have to prepare some finger food for the guests too!

Ingredients:
Cin cau / grass jelly
Soya bean milk

I got a can of grass jelly from my local Asian grocer for about aud$1.50 and I think it would suffice for about 8-10 serves? Bought a 2 litre bottle of soya bean milk for aud$3.30. These prices may vary depending on which grocer you go to.

Slice grass jelly into roughly 1cm cubes and place in individual glasses or into a big jug. Add soyabean and you are ready to serve!

How easy was that?:)

I was not very precise with my measurements but you get the idea;) Ps, this was only half of the can.

If you wait a little longer, you may see a nice colour gradient appear. Pretty impressive for something so easy to produce?

Black star's watermelon cake recipe

It has been weeks since I departed Sydney but one thought that still lingers on would be the taste of Black Star Pastry dessert. I constantly try to envision the cake's ingredients because from memory, it was not too complicated, provided that I approach it in a more domestic-friendly manner.

And hence, I found it purely coincidental that I stumbled upon their cake's recipe on Gourmet Traveller whilst browsing for random/ challenging recipes. I quickly jotted down the recipe and within the next few days, had assembled the necessary ingredients.

Ingredients:

Almond dacquoise:
150gm almonds, coarsely chopped
150gm icing sugar, sifted
5 egg whites
135gm caster sugar

Process almonds in a food processor before adding in the icing sugar. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form before gradually adding the caster sugar to achieve stiff peaks. Spread on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 150C until golden.

Note: I have used a lower temperature compared to the recipe's but this is only because of how my oven works (bottom part heats up too quickly and can burn the dacquoise!).

Rose scented cream:
300ml thickened cream
30gm caster sugar
2 tbsp rosewater

Whisk cream and caster sugar until soft peaks form before adding rosewater and whisking until stiff peaks are attained

Note: I tasted mine and had to use another 2 tbsp more of rosewater as mine did not produce the desired rosewater flavour that I was after. I have read other blogger's reviews on the cream and some bloggers recommend doubling the amount of cream used. Being the worrywart that I am, I did exactly as recommended and regretted my decision as there was way too much cream in the cake. Stick to the recipe!

Assembling ingredients
250gm seedless watermelon, thinly sliced
60ml rosewater
4tbsp caster sugar
40gm almond meal
500gm strawberries
10 seedless grapes, halved
1 tbsp slivered pistachio
1 tbsp dried rose petals (available at speciality stores which I had omitted due to cost :/)

Sprinkle 20ml rosewater and scatter caster sugar on watermelon. Allow to macerate for 30 minutes before patting dry.

Assembling:
Spread 1/3 of cream evenly on dacquoise, scatter with half almond meal then top with watermelon. Scatter remaining almond meal on watermelon then spread remaining cream. Top with dacquoise and spread remaining cream before refridgerating for 2 hours (left mine overnight!)

Combine strawberries, rosewater and sugar in a bowl and allow to macerate for 10 minutes. Pat dry and decorate cake with strawberries, grapes and pistachio pieces.

I think I am pretty good with whisking egg whites by hand, after getting a lot of practice from attempting macarons in the past;)

At this stage, I was not convinced that the cake's going to make it:S Did not look as pretty as I wanted it to be.

Finished product was stunning (after trimming the sides a bit!). I am very impressed with what garnishes can do to an overall piece. Aside from its beauty, the cake tasted quite nice, minus the extra bit of cream that I was misguided to add.

Ohh and what did I do to the remaining egg yolks? I made mayonnaise with white wine vinegar and dijon mustard. More whisking but definitely tastes better than the store-bought versions:)

Black Star Pastry

Initially, I was not too keen on venturing out to Newtown, one of Sydney's suburbs located not too far away from the city. The sister convinced me that it would be a worthwhile trip as we will be stopping by a cafe that is highly recommended by her friends. With a map on hand, we went out early on Day 2 and being grumpy that I have to scramble around like a headless chicken at the train station, I was still not entirely convinced about the expedition.

The train ride was not too long and I was able to click away at scenes that interests me. We walked around Newtown upon arrival and before leaving, we stopped by to suss out the cake! Unfortunately, I did not manage to snap a picture of the cafe, mainly because quite a few locals were staring at me (uncomfortable moment!) and it kinda worried me that they might throw a fit if I took a picture and had them unintentionally in it!

Ah wells, the problems of being a photographer...

We tried one of their beef pies and it was divine. I love the puff pastry exterior which had soaked up some of the beef meat sauce in it. The pie was warm, comforting and I could easily have ordered another one!

So here's proof of my findings. Strawberry, watermelon and rosewater cake and an orange cake. The orange cake was moist, slightly dense but was a little too small of a portion for me to appreciate it's beauty. Would have liked a bigger piece of it for evaluation purposes!:)

So anyway, back to the main agenda of this trip: the watermelon cake. It was heavenly. Yes, I am not exaggerating or trying to pull a masterchef judge speech here. The rosewater cream was not too heavy and it mellows well with the almond crust. I have never imagined placing a slice of watermelon in a cake before and was equally impressed with how the pastry chef was able to carry this off without creating a wet cake (moisture from the watermelon).

Review? I liked this little cafe and would certainly pop by here often if I am staying in the surrounding area. There is not much sitting area available so do be mindful that you may have to sit outside (enjoy the breeze whilst you are at it!).

Kura Kura Japanese Casual Dining

Day 2 in Sydney ended with more Japanese food but this time, in a swanky but affordable restaurant near Chinatown. I was advised that we may have to queue for seats but lady luck was on our side and gifted us with a table right in the middle of the restaurant.

What impressed me the most was the service. They provided us with an ipad menu that not only has a good categorization of the food but also updates us on the progress of our order. Despite having this technology at hand, the serving staff were still very helpful and efficient! Absolutely love this place and would visit it again in the future:)

Plum wine ~ something different from our usual routine. This little bottle costs about $6 but it was more than enough for both of us. Little luxuries in life keeps me happy!

Sashimi plate with salmon, tuna, kingfish and squid ~ the sashimi pieces were plump and fresh. The chef sliced us thick pieces of fish which was such a pleasure to eat! If only I could get something like this in Adelaide:(

Soft shell crab roll ~ As a fan of soft shell crabs, I had to order their version for comparison reasons. The crab legs were skinnier than the ones I can get in Adelaide but overall, it was still a very tasty and refreshing roll.

Udon with tempura prawn ~ I would not confess that this is the best bowl of udon that I had but it does taste like most of the other udons I had before (which is not a bad thing!). Warm bowl of soup, udon noodles, fried prawn tempura, poached egg and a good garnish of seaweed. Yep, the prefect way to warm up on a cold Sydney night:)

Cheap eats (compared to other Japanese restaurants), efficient service and value for money food. What more can a tourist ask for?

 

Belgian Beer Cafe Oostende

Those who grew up with me would know that I am not a mussel advocate nor am I a beer-aholic. As a growing teenager, I used to pick out these little morsels from my plate of pasta and plop it into my parents or siblings' plates and cringe in horror when I take a sip of beer at wedding dinners. I have never acknowledged myself as a fussy eater but looking back at my weird eating habits, perhaps I was a difficult child? Not that it's a bad thing haha.

Having still disliked the idea of consuming mussels back when I first arrived in Australia, I would steer away from this place, mainly because most people who dine here come for the delectable pot of mussels. After what seemed like 4 years, I have finally decided to head back here for a relaxing Sunday afternoon to end a hectic working week! Strangely enough, my taste buds have evolved and are able to take in more exquisite/ exotic/ adult type of food/ beverages. Makes me wonder if I should attempt eating my dad's infamous bitter gourd dish..hmm...

Bookings here may be necessary, especially for weekends and perhaps Fridays but fortunately for us, this was not an issue (reckon most Adelaide peeps liked to cozy up at home on Sundays before the dreaded week begins!).

So we ordered a bottle of apple flavoured beer, which had a lovely apple sweetness to it and in terms of alcohol content, moderate. Only downside was the price for a bottle. A little hefty but worthwhile for rare events.

Paddestoel Les Moules, $29.90 ~ without further delay, here is a picture of the pot of mussels which were gently steamed in white wine and cream, and garnished with mushrooms, confit garlic as well spring onions. The verdict? Tasted much better than the first time I had it (yes, I was coming back for seconds and even wished I had ordered another pot of mussels!). Mussels were plump and juicy, vegetable garnishes kept the dish fresh and the broth at the bottom of the pot was to die for (if only I could take it home and utilize it as a sauce base). Yummy!

All the pots of mussels comes with a serving of chips and mayonnaise, just to keep the atmosphere casual and laidback, without being too pretentious and posh. We are in a pub restaurant after all!:)

Gnocchi $16.90 ~ served with mushroom, speck, spring onion slices and truffle oil, this is one of the best gnocchi dishes I have tasted in Adelaide. It is indeed a very rich dish but the warmth from each bite made it worthwhile. Gnocchi was soft and pillow-y in texture, not starchy. Another favourite of mine.

Gaufrette Belge, $12.90 ~ Belgian waffles served with caramelized banan, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Would have liked to have another piece of waffle to scoop up all the caramel sauce with! Was an expensive plate of decent tasting waffle..

Overall, I did enjoy my main dishes were well and service was good. As one of us had an Entertainment card, we managed to save 25% off our total bill. Pretty worthwhile and might be dropping by again sometime:)