Little Swan Restaurant

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Seriously, if you are intending to go out with a bunch of friends and don't mind sharing a big communal hot pot, then try The Little Swan in 333 Liverpool St Ashfield.

You can order lots of different meats and veges and it all goes into the central hot pot. Then you bring them out and dab it in some sauce and eat away to your heart's content. It's inexpensive, and lots of fun. I think it's one of the most fun you can have eating.

PS Watch out for the chili hot pot. It's way, way, way too hot for my taste; however a friend of mine just sat there and devoured it.

Sonoma Bakery Cafe

Sour Dough Done Right

Sour dough is one of those breads that is hard to do right. it has to b the right density and texture to make that sourness come through in the right way. I've been a big fan of the sour dough thing since I visited the west coast of America a while back and had some amazing breads out there.

Turns out I'm not the only person who thought the sour dough out there is great. A couple of Aussies have gone out to Sonoma County and come back with the expertise to do it right - and opened a shop in Glebe. And the results are pretty damn impressive. I don't think I've had any sour dough taste this good, anywhere else in Australia. So Sonoma Bakery Cafe is definitely a place you should try out.

If there's one criticism I have of the shop, it's that it's a little too small. But it's one of those shops that could fit right in on the pages of 'Stuff White People Like' and not look out of place. So drive up in your Toyota Prius as you listen to your iPod if you must; just don't miss the sour dough bread!

New Orleans Cafe

Nawlins Cafe

It's a nice place to just hang and have lunch. The drinks aren't too expensive and the gumbo is definitely good. 

 

What Secret Recipe?!

Kentucky Fried Carcinogens

I don't think I've ever believed that KFC really actually had 11 herbs and spice that went into the fried chicken. 11 herbs and spices? What possible combination could they be?

I was once told there was no such thing. That it was:

- Salt

- Pepper

- Flour

- Butter

and that was it.

That radically minimalist recipe sounds unlikely too.

Here's a pretty good stab in the dark.

- 2 parts paprika

- 1 Part onion salt

- 1 part celery salt

- 1 part rubbed sage

- 1 part garlic powder

- 1 part ground all spice

- 1 part chili powder

- 1 part black pepper

- 1 part crushed basil leaves

- 1 part marjoram leaves

I think it's almost too spicy to be true.

Another guess I found is here:

- Salt

- Pepper, Chili Powder

- Turmeric

- Cinnamon

- Paprika

- Garlic powder

- Mustard

- Coriander

- Oregano

- Tarragon

Not a bad list. Out of these I strongly doubt Coriander. Anyway... The company still insists there is a secret recipe. Here's a story on the recipe.

The recipe is such a tightly held secret that not even Eaton knows its full contents. Only two company executives at any time have access to the recipe. KFC won't release their names or titles, and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients but know only a part of the entire contents.

"We've very comfortable with the security," Eaton said. "I don't think anyone can break into it."

Just how valuable is the recipe?

Thomas P. Hustad, professor of marketing at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, said the recipe "goes to the core of the identity of the brand." The recipe, along with the man who created it, conjure images for the chain that help set it apart in the minds of customers, he said.

"I would say that the heritage value is just as high for this secret recipe as the stories around the Coke formula," Hustad said by phone Tuesday. "I guess I'd put the two of those at the top of the pyramid."

Dietl said the security measures he installed replaced an "antiquated" system. For years, the recipe was kept in a filing cabinet equipped with two combination locks in the vault.

"The colonel could have used a pry bar to open that thing up," Dietl said.

Kind of scary to think what's actually in it.

UPDATE:

Here's a guy who actually thinks he's cracked the secret recipe:

A KFC devotee who ditched his Wall Street job in a quest to unravel the food giant's best-kept secret says he's finally figured out a recipe that is identical to Colonel Sanders' 11 herbs and spices.

And now a major book house will publish the recipe.

Ron Douglas spent years experimenting with different techniques in an attempt to reproduce KFC's Original Recipe.

At one point, he grew so desperate he tried to bribe a cook at the chain.

"(He) wouldn't tell me," Mr Douglas said.

But while trying to nail down KFC's ingredients, he discovered there were lots of people online trying to duplicate recipes from the US's most popular food outlets.

So Mr Douglas decided to start a website devoted to copycat recipes, relying on his discriminating taste buds and a growing community of amateur foodies.

It was such a hit that he ditched his job as a finance manager at JP Morgan in 2007 to manage the website full-time.

Weirdness has its merits.

In Search Of The Best Pho

Benchmarking

It might seem like nothing much doing, but I am interested in finding the best pho in Sydney. That's right. If you'd asked me 10 years ago, I would have said, 'Pasteur' on George Street. It might still be the case, but there are some good ones out on Cabramatta way. 

Still, Cabramatta is a long way to go, just for a good pho, so I've been digging around a bit. 

The benchmark pho, I think is at Xiclo. They have a shop in town and in Chatswood and Hay Market. It comes with a good soup, with good basil and meats. It's important they come with the obligatory sundry combination of meats, otherwise it's not a proper pho. The beef comes with 2 different cuts, cuts of beef balls, some tendon and tripe. It's pretty good even with a $11 price tag. You can get good laksa for that price, but you can also get some awful soups for that price too. 

Bertoni Cassalinga

Best Coffee In Sydney

If you believe Time Out magazine, then the best coffee in Sydney can be found at Bertoni's in Balmain. It's such a funky place that it doesn't have enough chairs for the scrum of people who rush to it on any given weekend. Verily, I like it too.

It's a formidable Long Black. The real reason I like going there though, is actually the thing you see behind it: the monster doughnut. It's a clincher. 

Thai Laksa

It's Hard To Find A Good One

Years ago when I was first introduced to Laksa soups, it was from a place that made this Malaysian style Laksa that just burnt hot chili marks into your innards. But it was great!

That place is now long gone.

Since then I've been ordering Laksas in the hope of finding something as good but I've failed. In the mean time, I've noticed the rise of the Thai Laksa, which is a kind of bastard soup noodle experience that is not quite the same dish but bears the same name.

Thai Laksa are largely less impressive than the Malaysian kind. However, I have found a great place in Crows Nest, not far from Bean Drinking. It's a place called Wok Noodle Bar. The Laksa there has a strong lemon-grassy tang and has a unique flavor. I think it's awesome.

Best Coffee In Crows Nest

There Are Many Coffee Shops But...

... there's only one place in Crows Nest that I'd go to have coffee for the sake of the coffee itself, and that's Bean Drinking. It's in Ernest Place near the Professor Plum's shop full of cute toys. The coffee there is seriously awesome. 

Being a long black drinker, I'm pretty sensitive to over-roasting and crap beans and sour coffees. There's absolutely none of that with Bean Drinking. The baristas there are pretty spot on, and the service is good, even by local standards. The staff are friendly, and the vibe is relaxed. 

If that's not enough to convince you, their beans are 'fairtrade' beans so it's relatively guilt free. If you're slogging cups of Vittoria during the week at work like I do, it's very noticeable when you sip on the sacred black juice of the caffeine gods. The caffeine gods smile from the ceiling saying "good java..." well, maybe not. But you know what I mean. 

They've also won some awards for sustainable coffee so that's a plus for every eco-conscious coffee -sipper. 

If you happen to be in Crows Nest and you like your coffee rich, strong and flavorsome, Bean Drinking is the place in Crows Nest. 

The Best Fish And Chips In The Universe

Five Dock Fish And Chip Experience

Ocean Foods is a place on Lyons Road in Drummoyne. They boast a bunch of prizes and claim to have the best Fish and Chips in the Universe. It's a big claim. Any time you drive past on the weekends, they are packed with eager customers hoping to get a dose of the best fish and chips in the universe. Even some of my friends are big believers in the claim. 

I've been there several times. The grilled fish and chips is not bad and it comes with  soggy greek salad. It's a touch on the expensive side when you add the obligatory bottle of lemonade you need to wash down the grease, as the price tag comes to about $15. If you live near Five Dock, there are a couple of  fish shops that offer similar fare for a little bit less - although they've raised their prices recently too.  

Comparing, critiquing and complaining about fish and chips is like comparing the heights of midgets but as a local food derby is concerned, it's this or the gaggle of Thai restaurants. I'll write about those soon. 

Anyway, I can't quite hand the big gong to Ocean Foods as readily as they hand themselves the epithet of best fish and chips in the universe, but they're none too bad. It's worth dropping by at some point if you live in the Inner West. 

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Rigoni's

My Fave Italian Isn't Even In Sydney

I know some people will whine and moan when I say this, but my favourite Italian restaurant is in the heart of Adelaide around the corner from Adelaide Casino called Rigoni's. 

They serve up wonderful pastas that actually have a solidity and isn't mushy or over-boiled . I haven't been there for a couple of years but my friends reassure me that it's still as good as it ever was. 

I spent time in vain, looking for an equivalent in Sydney but you just can't find something with the same quality at the same or similar price. Even Norton Street's best offerings don't quite come up to the lofty standards of Rigoni's in my experience. I really wish there was some place in Sydney s good s Rigoni's!

Is Tetsuya's Still Any Good?

I ask myself this question a lot. It's been years since he's moved to the new premises which used to be the old Suntory restaurant. All I hear is the food is okay, but the atmosphere is dreadful. It's a shame because back in the day, Tetsuya's really made you ponder the delicacy he was serving up (in a positive ay, that is). Now it sounds like it's an up market food court. 

My Favorite Restaurant At The Moment

Ju-Rin in Crows Nest

It's a lovely little Japanese kaiseki place. The dude who runs it is a hilarious bloke. It's a tiny place but it's bustling with activity. The food is yummy and it's not too hard on the wallet. 

Just Starting Out

I decided I like eating so much I'd do a blog about fine foods and culinary delights. 

I don't how it's going to go so I'm tentative. I'll try and link to some restaurants and stuff I've enjoyed. It's a bit of an adventure, this blogging thing! 

Thanks for visiting!

Cheers,

Max