Category: Cuisines

Categories
Vietnamese

Tam Tam – Parramatta NSW Restaurant Review

The seafood spring rolls ($12) were good, with a dense and umami filling covered in a light and oily external shell. Just as they should be.

The special beef noodle soup/pho ($18) had a bit of everything wtihin the usual suspects, and was pretty good. I didn’t love the beef balls, but it’s rare to find a place that does every component well.

I have absolutely no problems with the food here. I think it’s a good pho for Parramatta, especially since my previous favourite Lee Chef has been closed for years now with no signs of anything good popping up in its place.

I have no problems with the service either – we rocked up quite late after work, essentially 15 minutes before their listed closing time, and they served us with speed and friendliness.

What I did think was unfortunate was the restaurant’s location and parking situation. My first visit to Tam Tam was actually the second time I tried to go. Its location in the centre of Parramatta means that there is no free street parking nearby, meaning that any meal here necessitates a snake-like crawl through the nearby Eat St parking lot and a minimum extra $3 charge. And I know that a lack of free parking disincentivises private car usage and incentivises public transport, resulting in what is probably a net environmental and economical good for society. It’s just annoying when you work in the next suburb and have to pay $3 to park to eat a $18 bowl of pho.

Tam Tam
41 Phillip St, Parramatta NSW 2150
0466 222 699

Categories
Middle Eastern

Beirut Bites – Beverly Hills NSW Restaurant Review

The 6 falafel ($15) were really good. Nice and warm and moist on the inside, and crispy on the outside, accompanied perfectly by the pickles and side dish of tahini. They were, unfortunately, so good that we kind of filled up on them before our main arrived. It would be even better if they could come in a serving of 4.

The mixed plate ($34) was alright, but definitely had better and weaker components. My personal opinion was that the chicken skewer was the best of the three, with good flavour, tenderness and juiciness, as well as good synergy with the toum. Second would be the kafta, again quite moist, followed by the lamb meat. The toum, the hummus, and the baba ghanouj were all good though with both the pictured bread and the entire bag of Lebanese bread (unpictured) that came with the meal.

Overall I thought the food was good, but not neccessarily the best I have had. They were certainly open very late, which was a plus as it meant that I could catch up with my friend after finishing work at 9PM and then driving an hour.

Beirut Bites
457 King Georges Rd, Beverly Hills NSW 2209

Categories
Vietnamese

Love Mi – Burwood NSW Restaurant Review

I saw and smelled one of my juniors eating the most seductive banh mi ever on a recent night shift, and couldn’t make my way home without getting one myself.

I stopped at Burwood banh mi spot Love Mi, a place I had seen before on social media but never eaten at, parked precipitously on the street (arriving at 8:45AM, the parking becomes ticketed after 9AM Monday to Saturday), and waited 8 minutes for two rolls, returning to my car at 8:56AM, 4 minutes before a potential parking ranger could fined me.

I had a banh mi thit ($8.80), a classic cold sliced pork roll, and a nem nuong banh mi ($11.80).

The banh mi thit ($8.80) did not meet my expectations for taste, moistness, and price. Though extremely well packaged wrapped in paper and enclosed in a cardboard box, it felt dry on the inside, with an inadequate volume of salad, nor amount of Vietnamese mayo or pate to create that wonderful moist and fatty texture. It’s not the worst pork roll I’ve ever had (hello Northmead NSW), but doesn’t rank anywhere near the best.

The nem nuon banh mi ($11.80) was a stronger showing, owing to the significantly jucier and more flavourful warm nem nuong, which meant that the smaller amount of salad filling at Love Mi was less damaging.

Overall I’ve definitely had better for cheaper (including at the corner of Burwood Road and Park Ave for $2.40 in the late 90s). My partner and I finished both of Love Mi’s rolls, but they didn’t quite hit the spot. I wonder if they spent less effort on packaging they could spend more on the food itself. I don’t have any plans to return.

Love Mi Burwood
Shop 2/2a Elsie St, Burwood NSW 2134
0466 183 338

Categories
American

Butterball BBQ Chicken – Earlwood NSW Restaurant Review

I don’t remember the exact set of circumstances that led to me getting an $18 burger and fries right after spending like $100 at the slightly upmarket grocery store across the road, but I did it and didn’t regret it.

The dirty bird ($18), with two pieces of fried chicken, bacon, onion, pickles, peri aioli and a maple glaze was fat, delicious, and juicy. Potentially could only be optimised or ruined (you’re welcome to your opinion on this one) with the addition of pineapple, which I do not believe was on offer.

What really wowed me, even outside of the really good burger, were these chips. I don’t know how or what they did, but they were just so good. So crunchy, and not just immediately crunchy, but even crunchy after a 10 minute drive home. Absolutely delicious, I can still taste them six months later.

Butterball BBQ Chicken
1/8-10 Clarke St, Earlwood NSW 2206
(02) 7209 5460

Categories
Italian

Crazy Nonna – Campsie NSW Restaurant Review

Crazy Nonna is our local woodfired pizzeria. We walk past it several times a week on the way to the grocery store or the parcel locker, but have never eaten in, only ordered take-away.

The Crazy Nonna Pizza ($26), with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, basil, pork sausage, ham and salami was super tasty. It was absolutely topped with toppings, with each bite presenting multiple flavours and animals in one.

The Nonna Irene ($28) with its San Marzano tomatoes, Fiore di latte cheese, hot salami, chilli oil, stracciatella and alleged dash of honey was super delicious too, with the creaminess and mildness of the stracciatella providing the perfect foil for the spicy salami. The honey was difficult to appreciate, but appreciated all the same. The pizzas at Nonna’s were 2 for 2 bangers.

My partner loves a good pasta, even though I am a bit iffy about takeaway pastas in general. We had the boscaiola ($26), which though acceptable (she enjoyed it thoroughly), I’m sure would’ve been better eaten in a dine-in capacity. I just don’t think pasta usually travels really well.

Local gem.

Crazy Nonna
60 Charlotte St, Campsie NSW 2194