Categories
Indian

Thar Indian – Neutral Bay NSW Restaurant Review

One of the problems with being a Western Sydney Person at heart is that it’s extremely difficult to find good Indian food outside of the 2145-2150 postcode at a price that you’re willing to pay.

We visited Thar Indian in Neutral Bay on our way back from a failed mission to buy a rich divorcée timber bedroom set in Manly. Though we didn’t manage to fit any of her high quality, low priced furniture into our car, we did get a glimpse of how the other 1% lives, and an important lesson how to actually buy things from Facebook Marketplace. (Protip: with a rented van).

My partner was hungry on the drive back, and so we spent almost as much as we would’ve on a timber queen bed, two bedside tables, and a tallboy dresser on Indian food.

It’s hard to consider either the Bombay Beef (a curry cooked in potatoes) ($21.90) or the Butter Chicken (a similar price) particularly memorable. They were good, yes, but not extraordinary, and not so much better than what I’ve been making recently at home with my own two hands and a poor understanding of how to follow instructions from Youtube.

Bread, contrastingly, is a thing I’ve yet to attempt, and the garlic naan ($5.90), cheese & garlic naan ($7.50), and keema naan ($7.90) were all fresh, oily, and delicious. Let me know in the comments if you have a source in the Inner West or Western Sydney for something from the freezer aisle.

Does Udaya carry something good?

Thar Indian
75 Military Rd, Neutral Bay NSW 2089
0408 756 424

Categories
Vietnamese

Eat Fuh – Marrickville NSW Restaurant Review

We found, with significant and surprising difficulty, a pho establishment in Marrickville that serves pho dac biet with all the neccessary trimmings of tripe and tendon.

My friend PMR and I each had the combination beef fuh ($21), which unlike many nearby competitors added tripe and a healthy serving of tendon to each bowl, along with rare beef, brisket, and beef balls. In tribute to the behaviour recently witnessed by my partner’s father, I ordered mine with slightly cooked sprouts so as to not dilute the thermal mass of the hot bowl.

The price of this bowl was generally higher than others in the earea, though it was generous in its size and quantity of beefy proteins. The herbs, lemon, and bean sprouts were served on top of the noodles rather than in a separate side dish, taking away a degree of autonomy from the diner, though they did not go so far as to squeeze the lemon. Though my dining friend paid a particular compliment to the flavour of the soup, I had difficulty appreciating the same depth that he could.

Surely Eat Fuh’s neighbours can add some more fringe bits to their pho?

Eat Fuh Marrickville
274 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204

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