Cassie Cakes Goes to Eat Street

On your marks, get set...EAT!

I must be the worst food blogger in the world because it took me a year and half to get to Eat Street. There's a market which is solely about food and it took me that long to get there? Fail, Cassie Cakes. FAIL. But don't worry. I made up for it. My favourite foodie friend and I made plans to go and for the week leading up, we stalked Eat Streets Facebook, drooling over the photos and planning our attack.

Best chips in the universe, hey...



Look at dem chips. Nice hand modelling too!

The day arrived and we excitedly made our way there, arriving at about 5pm. We paid the $2 entry fee and we were in. We had our game plan, check out every stall first then tactically buy. Every stall was one temptation after another so we decided to buy some chips from Phunky Dory first. We of course knew all about Phunky Dory and their claim that they have the best chips in the universe. And they were very, very good. We smashed them. The chips were $6 for a decent serve.

Mmmm potato.



That guy is not impressing with my photo taking.

Now we had something in our bellies, we made it a little further around before being snagged by the Potato Slinky. Which is basically just hot chips on a stick. What can I say, I'm a sucker for some fried potato. The slinky ($5) was crisp and hot and since we're pros at the old fried potato, we asked for extra chicken salt. It was delicious.

The awesomely named, Samurai Chicken.

Drool.

After we ate the delicious slinky on a stick, we needed something besides potato. We both have a love for the Japanese version of KFC: Karaage. So we couldn't go past a serve of karaage from Samurai Chicken, which was $8 for regular size. The chicken was plump and the batter crispy. With a drizzle of lemon on top and a touch of mayo, I was in heaven.


Lovely Phil and his dumplings. Wait...hmmmm.



Get a load of this laksa. Good work, Phil, you legend.

By now we'd have just about enough of deep fried delicousness. We were on the hunt for laksa. We'd seen Phil's Dumpling Envy on the Eat Street facebook and the duck laksa was on our must have list. I was so excited when we spotted Phil and his stall. We ordered regular size for $15. Phil himself made it and he was so kind, he gave us an extra container so we could split it along with a bit extra soup. That's great service. And it was great laksa. The duck wasn't fatty as it can be some times and the soup was flavourful and authentic tasting. I could have done with it being a bit hotter but there was plenty of chilli available for me to up to heat to my insane liking.

The live music created a great atmosphere. 

Then the worst happened. We hit a food wall. We had grand plans for the okonomiyaki from a stall across the way as we'd heard great things but we simply couldn't do it. But as everyone knows, there's a second stomach for dessert.


Filled churros OMG! Exactly.



Check out the size of these things! I totally understand the feelings of the cartoon girl behind the churros, too.

We backtracked and ordered two Mars Bar filled churros from Cheery Churros. Yes, you read that right...Mars Bar filled churros! They were two for $7 and huge. Hot, fresh and covered in delicious cinnamon sugar, what more could two delighted foodies want? Ice cream, that's what.

Oh ice cream. I always come back to you.

We hot footed it to Byron Bay Gelati and ordered two scoops for $6.50. I can't tell you hot good a hot churro dipped in cookies and cream ice cream tastes. My only suggestion to Eat Street is put these two guys next door to each other! They'll make a killing.


Shut. The. Front. Door.

We truly were in the third trimester of food babies then. We took a walk around the markets to let the food settle. The markets are really busy but there are staff walking around keeping it lovely and clean. And while I'm not sure all 35 kilos of Puppy Cakes would be welcome, I did see a few lovely doggies around.

The view from the viewing platform.

There was also musical acts dotted around, entertaining people as they ate, lots of bars as well as a viewing platform to take it all in from.


The nice, open green space.

Behind the viewing platform was a lovely open green space, bordered by twinkling fairy lights that made it really enchanting. A picnic blanket and some knee rugs for the cooler weather would make it the nicest area to have picnic and let the kids run around.

Cronut heaven.

Before we left, I had to get a treat for Mr. Cakes so we lined up and grabbed some cronuts to take home from Chocolate Komberry Co. I got him a Tim Tam cronut with a Nutella injection for $10. He said it was the best cronut he's had! This was only his second one but still!


The Nutella injection took it to the next level.

We had such a great time at Eat Street and I can't wait to take Mr. Cakes. Next time, I think we'll take public transport over - the ferry terminal is nice and close - and have a few drinks.
 

REVIEW: Southern Attitude

Mmmm steaks. Nice ring, mysterious menu holder.

On a particularly warm Saturday night, we decided to go down to Southern Attitude on Oxford Street for dinner. Southern Attitude is fairly new, opening in 2014. The restaurant is the north of the border sister to the Mexican restaurant next door, La Quinta. We've been to La Quinta many times and always had good experiences, except for once when we made a booking and yet didn't get a table. At the time, I remember being reminded of a Seinfeld episode - "You know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation".

Delicious apple pie cocktail. Get in my mouth!

Fortunately that didn't happen when we visited, although our request for an outside table went unfulfilled. We were seated at a booth inside and it was warm, but seemed bearable. The ordering system is the same as at La Quinta, you place a small flag atop your table number to get attention and it works really well. We ordered a few drinks, some soft drinks, a Pabst Blue Ribbon, of course and Sweet Apple Pie cocktail which was tequila, butterscotch schnapps, apple cider, lemon juice and cinnamon sugar for $13. The Sweet Apple Pie was delicious. Could easily have had a few more.


Wings are always a good idea.

After drinks, we ordered starters to share. First up we got a serving of 8 wings in Original with Blue Cheese Dip and Celery ($18). These were pretty good, and I liked the full wing being served. The flavour was good with a tasty mix of spices, and so was the texture. Often wings are drowned in sauce and they lose the crispiness of the fried batter but this was not the case with these wings.


Oh crab cakes. What would Mr. Krab say?

Next we got a serve of Crab Cakes ($9). There was a definite taste of crab in the crab cakes but the size was a little disappointing. They were okay. Finally, we got the Baked Chili Cheese Fries for $10, which was a generous serving of chips with beef chili, sour cream and shallots. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of these fries - they were very meaty, which for most people would be a good thing but I'm a bit meh about these kind of chips. They're too much! But they all got eaten, and they're very much up Mr. Cakes' ally.

They look good. And they were good, for those who like them. Totally making perfect sense.

The mains came out before we'd finished the entrees. There was a slight feeling of being rushed, the restaurant by this time was getting busier and maybe it was because of the bodies in the room or the hot food in front of us but I was starting to feel the heat now. We made room on the table for the mains. First, there was the Kentucky Pulled Pork Sliders served with Rocket, Apple Cider Slaw and Chipotle Aioli for $14 with a serve of Blackened Corn for an extra $4. The sliders tasted really good and the meat wasn't fatty. The bread wasn't the greatest and I didn't think the corn was worth the extra $4, it looked a bit sad.


Mmm less than impressive. That little sauce drip is though.

Next were two Smoked Double Bacon Cheeseburgers ($14), each with a Wagyu Patty, Smoked Bacon, Cheese, Pickles, BBQ Sauce and Ranch dressing with Onion Rings and Fries ($4 each). The burger was good, the meat had a bit of a taco seasoning flavour to it, which was a little odd but not horrible. The chips were a lot better without the chili on top but the onion rings weren't cut up properly so some bits of onion were a bit thick.


So much fried goodness.

Finally, for my main, I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken which was Southern Fried Breaded Chicken Breast with SA Seasoning, Fried and Served with Maple and Mustard White Gravy. It came with two sides, I choose Coleslaw and Sweet Potato chips. What came out was not what I expected. Instead of a whole bit of chicken breast, a flattened, breaded schnitzel type chicken breast was served. It wasn't terrible, but with the thoughts of my mothers southern fried chicken in my mind, I can't say that I wasn't a little disappointed. However, the chicken was good and the sweet potato chips were really good.


See what I mean about the chicken? It was good! Just not what I expected.

By this time though, it was sweltering. I literally had sweat dripping down my legs. I wolfed down my meal and escaped to the night outside, leaving Mr. Cakes to settle the bill with our dining companions.

PBR. Of course.

Southern Attitude was okay, I didn't hate it but I don't think I'll be rushing back. Southern Attitude do have a take away option so I think if I do eat there again, I will be eating it at home in the comfort of my air conditioning and with puppycakes at my feet.

Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Price: 2/5
Atmosphere: 2/5

REVIEW: Wagaya

Up the stairs to Japanese food pleasuretown!

I remember when Wagaya first opened in Chinatown in the valley, about 4 years ago now, I must have visited about 5 or 6 times. I love Japanese food and Wagaya had me tickled pink with their touch screen ordering system. Since then though, I haven't been back for a year or two so it was high time I revisited.

The booths give a great feel of your own private dining space

Initially, I was going to bring Mr Cakes with me as Wagaya is all dark and fairly private, I thought we could have a little date but on further consideration, I uninvited him and bought my other favourite man with me instead. Don't worry, he was cool with it.


Tree in the restaurant like it's no big deal



As I said, Wagaya is dark and atmospheric with little booths that could hold up to 6 with private dining spaces at the back for larger groups, which are so cool with their sunken tables and authentic Japanese zataku low tables. They also have really fun karaoke rooms! Wagaya is private enough for a nice date but it's also lively enough for a group of friends to visit before a gig out in the valley. And it's BYO wine, so that's another awesome point.


The touch screens! So fun! So dangerous...



My friend had never been to Wagaya before so I was really excited for him to use the touch screens, they're so much fun to use but you do need to be careful as you can accidentally order a lot of food. It's so much fun to press those buttons!


The crunchy chicken cutlet roll. Man...I could eat those crispy bits by the bowlful.





Styled myself up a little plate. #Foodstylist



We started off with my favourite sushi roll, the Chicken Cutlet Crunch roll, which was $10 for 6 pieces. You can choose 3 or 6 pieces for all of the sushi rolls, we went with 6 cos we're awesome. I adore the chicken crunch roll, it is so delicious with a nice crumbed chicken cutlet and avocado, topped with deep fried panko breadcrumbs on top. We both really loved it.


Salty soybeans sitting in a saucer. Check those alliteration skillz.



Next up we ordered the classic Edamame ($5.80). The portion size was really good and kept us going through our entire visit. The first few on top weren't that salty, and for a salt fiend like me, that matters but I found the salty goodness a few beans in.


STAHP! You're killing me! Look at that crispiness!



I'm a sucker for karaage, which is deep fried bits of chicken thigh. The Spicy Chicken Karaage ($8.80) is a karaage lovers must. It came out and my eyes got wide. It was crispy and had a sweetness to it that is just so my kind of thing. Some people may find it a little fatty, but I actually love a bit of fat. I'll eat the fat right off your steak. So for me, this was heaven. Like...really good. I could go some now...


My friend, my confidant, my lover, my wings.



It will not come as a surprise to you then that my all time favourite dish from Wagaya is the Spicy Fried Chicken Wings ($7.10). I have not visited here once and not gotten these wings. They're crispy and juicy and delicious. I can't detect any heat in them though, but I eat my chilli very hot so I might be a bit immune. Either way, if you're a wing lover, get them. If you're not, get them. They'll convert you.


Oh little red things, what are you?



Food styling. #shouldhavegotacleanplate

Then we ordered the Tuna Avocado Roll, $12.50 for 6 pieces. This roll was so good, the tuna inside was just seared on the outside so it was nice, raw and plump on the inside. It was so fresh and good, that it might just knock my beloved crispy chicken wings off the No. 1 dish perch. I really liked the spring rolls on top too, they paired well with the tuna. There were some red things on top, which looked like saffron but couldn't have possibly been at that price so if you know what they are, please tell me. We were curious as what they were.

Go away, duck. Stop ruining the good food run. Oh I see you in the corner there, wing. Don't think I'm not coming back for you.

Things were getting to the pointy end now...or the fat belly end, as we both were pretty full. But we soldiered on because as I said before, we're awesome. And we did it for you. We both love duck so we decided to try the Seared Roast Duck ($10.50). Unfortunately, we found the chink in Wagayas amazing food armour that we weren't looking for. Given the name, we thought it would be a hot dish and in fact, I think we found it in the Grilled Dishes section of the menu but what came out was cold duck with a lot of ginger on it. Neither of us was a fan. Would give it a miss next time.


The desserts. Alright.



We rounded off the night with two desserts, the Green Tea Cheesecake with Green Tea Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, both $7.50 each. The chocolate cake was okay, it wasn't amazing. It would have benefitted from being served hot, I think but as it was, it was still okay. I thought the green tea cheesecake was the better of the two desserts but it still didn't blow me away. It wasn't very cheesecakey , it reminded us both of a shortbread biscuit. I liked it, but maybe they should call it something else - Green Tea Shortbread Cheesecake Kinda Thing.


The smoky hot grill.



We were both really impressed with how quickly food came out and the service we received. The wait staff were friendly and efficient. It makes it the perfect venue for a quick lunch or before a show as everything comes out quickly and as it's ready.


Hey tree.



Overall, we had a fabulous time at Wagaya. I'd recommend sticking to their strengths, which was almost everything. I would recommend skipping dessert and just getting more delicious sushi or chicken wings. It's a really fun place and I'm glad I had the chance to revisit, I won't be leaving it too long til next time!

Disclaimer: Cassie Cakes was an invited guest of Wagaya. Opinions are my own and the above review is an honest account of my experience.

SYDNEY REVIEW: An Restaurant (Pho An)

Pho AND wordplay! Can it get any better?

YAY! Sydney review time! If you follow my Facebook or my Instagram you would know that I went to Sydney recently. If you don't follow my  Facebook or my Instagram, why don't you? I would love it! Plus you'd know I went to Sydney! It's a win win.

Enter on the left, exit on the right!

I haven't told you yet but I am obsessed with Vietnamese. It seems to be having a moment here in Brisbane and I was pleased to hear that my sister was taking me to one of Sydney's best pho restaurants. If you're not yet fluent in the world of pho-y delights, let me tell you all about it. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, made out of flat rice noodles with thinly sliced raw beef and some herbs on top. Then a piping hot, amazingly tasty broth is poured on top. This cooks the beef and all the goodness stays in the soup. I've looked into making it at home, and may well do one day but it's an incredibly long process with the broth cooked from 3 to 9 hours! Ain't nobody got time for that! Well, not right now anyway.

So much concentration on pho.

So my sister told me she was taking me to get pho from An Restaurant (aka as Pho An in various places) and that it was good. I was sceptical that there would be pho that beat my local Vietnamese shop but being mad for pho, I was excited at the prospect. We drove to Bankstown and soon were walking up to a pretty unassuming restaurant. Straight away, I could tell that An Restaurant was not messing around with a separate entry and exit door. In one way and out the other!

Look at all those bean sprouts and chilli. You could practically make a meal out of the condiments alone.

Once we got inside, I could see that speediness was a theme here, this wasn't the venue for a long, lingering lunch. This is a eat it and beat it kinda place. The tables and chairs are basic with no cushions or tablecloths, so the waiters can wipe things down and seat the next party straight after you. It felt reminiscent of an Asian hawker market. You're definitely coming here for the ambience. We sat down and straight away the waiter was there. Since it's only pho available in either pho bo (beef) or pho ga (chicken), there really isn't that much deliberating. My sister choose a medium Pho Topped with Chicken ($13) and I was feeling really brave so I went for a medium Pho Topped with Beef Combination ($13.50). Beef combination is rare beef, cooked beef, been tendon and tripe. I asked for no tripe and half a serve of noodles, my sister asked for no coriander. I sensed that the waiter was a little irritated by the two picky girls making changes to the menu but what can you do. Bishes have needs, yo.

My pho before I customised it...you can see the tripe floating there. FYI, I totally ate the tendon and tried the tripe. Culinary adventurer.

The pho came out super quickly. I could see tripe floating around my bowl but with one sip, I couldn't possibly hold that against them. I was in pho heaven. The pho from my local Vietnamese shop suddenly seemed like week old dish water. I swore. My eyes rolled around in my head. I basically shovelled this delicious ambrosia into my face hole as fast as I could bring the spoon to my mouth. Then suddenly a great sadness overcame me. The best pho I'd ever eaten was a 929 kilometre drive from my house. And An Restaurant does do takeaway, but I just don't think I'll get it home in time. What a double edged sword this turned out to be.

And after I customised it! Look at it in all it's glory!

My sister lost the ordering game, her pho was a sight more bland than mine however this could be in part due to her dislike of coriander as she is a crazy person. It was good but my beef pho was just on another level. She did have more noodles than me, so half of my request was delivered. She was happy with her order and had been curious as to see what the chicken pho was but we both agreed that there was no point in getting anything except the beef pho.

Wow, no offence Chicken Pho, but your sister Beef Pho is way hotter than you.

 

Wow, no offence Chicken Pho, but your sister Beef Pho is way hotter than you.

There was a great selection of condiments which really makes pho for me, with lashings of chilli and lots of crunchy bean sprouts. My sister also got a fresh young coconut juice which confirmed to me that I do not like fresh coconut juice. There were nice big chunks of coconut down the bottom though so if you're partial, you'd probably like it.



Looks like water, but isn't.



As soon as we had finished, the waiters were nearby to get the bill and we were out the door! By the specific exit, of course. My sister couldn't help but laugh at my mixed of delight and despair. It was honestly the best pho I've ever had. I can't help but wonder how much better it could get? What are they serving up in Vietnam? Could it be better? Perhaps my pho journey is just beginning...

Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Atmosphere: 1/5