Restaurant Reviews | Cookbookmaniac

Ju-Rin – Someone give them a trophy!

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

Plan B. This is what Ju-Rin ended up being for me this evening. I woke up in the morning and said to myself, "Today is the day that I will dine at Waqu." I called them at 2pm to leave a reservation on their answering machine only to receive an SMS at the last moment that they are fully booked. Damn! I should've known I was pushing my luck. Pizzaboy and I were left wondering around Crows Nest without any plans. We almost sat down at MuMu Grill when I confessed to him that I am now desperate to eat something Japanese. I suggest heading to Ju-Rin and trying our luck there. Pizzaboy is already upset by the Waqu situation and warns me about it happening again. "If we also get turned down by Ju-Rin we're going to McDonalds!" We walk into Ju-Rin without any reservations and the staff welcome us and explain that we must finish by 8pm. That's fine with me! We are shown to the sushi bar and get to choose where we sit. Pizzaboy plonks himself down in front of the Sushi Chef and I gladly follow. We are handed the menu and I'm completely distracted by the intricate knife skills of the chef. Pizzaboy constantly reminds me to pay attention to the menu, order and then stare at the sushi chef afterwards... I failed. Throughout the evening the sushi chef also nudges me to take photos of dishes that he makes for other patrons. The…

Asian Restaurant Reviews

Java Indonesian Restaurant in Randwick

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I was introduced to the many wonders of the Indonesian cuisine by a workmate from many years ago. Someone whom I affectionately call WuWu. She is the sweetest and most delightful person. I have to admit that I have not visited an Indonesian restaurant since her return to her motherland. Indonesian food just isn't the same without her. One day, my sisters unexpectedly asked if I wanted to go along with them to Java. Apparently it is one of the better Indonesian restaurants that is scattered around Kensington, Kingswood and Randwick. I immediately wanted to pick up the phone and call WuWu and ask for her help as to what to order, but she was too far away and an email just won't cut it. So I went along without any idea what to expect and had a wonderful time. This one's for you Wuwu. I miss you little lady. We started off with Otak Otak, a grilled fish cake wrapped in banana leaves. The fish flavour is very subtle, in fact, almost non-existant. The texture is quite soft, sticky and spongey. The coconut, chili, peanut sauce poured over it gives the fish cakes a necessary punch of flavour. The Martabak is a crispy fried pastry stuffed with beef mince, egg and shallots. We weren't sure what to expect when we ordered this surprisingly delicious dish. The pastry was thin and crunchy. The stuffing consisted mostly of a fluffy egg mixture and wonderfully crispy shallots. The Ayam Betutu is a…

CBD & Inner City

Silvas Portuguese Restaurant in Little Portugual

By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

Pizzaboy and I had been looking to dine at a portuguese restaurant for a long time and for some strange reason I always thought that Little Portugual at Petersham was a little too hard to get to. It turned out that it was within walking distance from Petersham station and the cluster of Portuguese shops wasn't too long either. Silva's was easy to spot being on the main corner of Little Portugual and from the outside it looked quite charming. We enter the premises through a side door and I think we could be forgiven in thinking that we had just stepped into the local tuckshop. The takeaway bar was not the reason for our visit tonight, but the sight of freshly barbecued portuguese chickens in the display glass was enough to warrant a huge jaw drop from Pizzaboy and myself. Just over the partition next to the take away bar is the warm wooden dining area. There is a large mural of the owners hometown, Madeira, across the main wall. It all adds to the cosy and inviting atmosphere of this family run restaurant. We take a lot of time to order and settle on the chorizo with pickled vegetables for the entree. The chorizo was wonderfully fragrant and delicious. The sausages are sliced and then char-grilled. The lightly pickled vegetables were surprisingly moreish. They complimented the sausages really well, it could have been far to rich without them. We order the Espetada a Madeirense expecting the conventional skewer…