The contents of this blog are matters of opinion formed over one more visits. There has been some artistry applied and metaphors and similes should not necessarily be taken literally.
We stopped at New Shanghai Workshop in Ashfield on our way to see a house that we ultimately locked ourselves into a $10,000/month mortgage on. Whether or not that was the right decision ultimately remains to be seen, but every day looking at my bank account and a series of consecutive interest rate rises I do wonder.
We had a number of pastries, that were all generally quite good.
Specific memories that I had include the egg yolk short cake with custard crisp ($5.50), which was rich, flaky, and not too sweet.
And the pan fried prawn bun ($5.80) which was only slightly above room temperature, didn’t have much flavour, and kind of sucked.
It’s just a shame we won’t be able to afford to eat here again for the next thirty years.
New Shanghai Workshop Ashfield 269 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131
I saw this Korean deli from across the road, which had only recently opened in the past week or so.
Inside were a number of foods already prepackaged in single-use plastics, laid down on a wooden bench nicely labeled with prices and names for the Chinese-majority population of Ashfield who may not be able to identify such delights by eyesight alone.
I purchased this bulgogi beef with rice set ($13) for my partner to take to work for dinner, but of course had to try each element while it was still fresh (to ensure it was non-poisoned, of course). The rice was nice and soft and fluffy, and the beef deliciously moist (and absolutely better than the bulgogi beef I had eaten recently at La Lune Market. Importantly, the juiciness and sauciness of the bulgogi beef was well proportioned to the amount of rice, meaning that no bite was too bland, nor was any bite too flavoured. The mixed shredded salad I honestly didn’t taste, but the potato salad was yummy and creamy, and the marinated kimchi was also quite a tangy and refreshing addition. Overall I felt this set was quite good value with quite a few different flavors and textures in one box each of which was appealing. I’m sure she’ll enjoy her dinner tonight at work.
I also had a original kimbap ($8). which was also pretty good – nice and crunchy, with the flavours from the daikon, fish cake, carb stick, carrot, egg and cucumber tasty but not at all overpowering. Similar to the bulgogi set, this is also quite a suitable to-go meal for a good price.
Overall A number of other variations of kimbap (including onigiri-style triangular), set boxes, and bibimbaps are on offer, which I have yet to but may eventually try. Hopefully these this place will see success in their new endeavor.
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
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?
My PMR friend stopped by Campsie for an impromptu visit, and I found us a place to eat with record decisiveness and in record time. He very kindly allowed me to choose two Taiwanese dishes from their combination Western and Taiwanese menu, which is all available all-day long.
This Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice (卤肉饭 – lu rou fan) ($16.80) was really good, with a mixture of soy braised pork belly and pork mince, plenty of braising fluid as gravy, white rice, and a runny-yolk but solid-albumen sunny side up egg. The fatty pork belly was really soft and delicious, with the minced portions being more lean and providing textural contrast. The supplied braising liquid was enough to flavour the entire mound of rice, which was a generous serve and definitely enough if if you’re a rice lover. I enjoyed this, and may actually have to come back with my partner so that she can enjoy this too.
The Taiwanese Beef Brisket Rice ($18.80) was the lesser of the two dishes. It too featured an egg, which was not pictured on the menu photo, but lacked bok choy, which was. The meat was relatively tender, but the flavours and textures of the more lean beef and its composite sauce were less rich and indulgent than that of the pork belly rice. My friend agreed with me, but still enjoyed it. I will attach below a photo of the menu for photographic comparison of its components.
Park Cafe Shop 5, 20-22 Anglo Rd, Campsie NSW 2194
