El Loco is one of those places that I have always heard about but never tried, that is until recently.  The interior is quite colourful, brining out a Mexican feel to the place. I believe there is also an outdoor seating area, but it was too cold that day to go out. However, I do wish I tried more of their stuff that day because with all the rave reviews about this place, the food I had didn't live up to expectations. 

Pollo Taco- $6

I ordered the Pollo Taco which is a chicken taco with a sweet corn salsa. As much as I enjoyed the sweet corn salsa within the taco, the taco itself was less than stellar. The taco was a lot smaller than expected plus it was extremely difficult to eat without making a huge mess. In the end I had to get a fork to scoop up what was remaining of my taco.

On the other hand, the Chiptole Fries served with Chiptole Mayo - $7 proved to be much more up to expectations. I forgot to take a photo of the chips, but I must say I really loved the mayo served with the. I wouldn't mind buying just the mayo to bring home to eat. 

Despite the average experience at El Loco, I still want to try some more dishes on the menu before I make a full judgement, but for now, El Loco is just mediocre, nothing to write home about. 

111 Sussex St

Sydney, NSW 2000

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FRESHLY MADE PASTA. The first thing you notice about Vapiano when you first step in is the ambience. The dim lighting that makes the whole experience more romantic, despite the food hall feel. I love the idea and design of this restaurant. A waiter hands me a card where I'm told by my friend that we scan it at the station where we order our food. I head to the pasta bar, because I was craving pasta and wanted a carb loading. 

The chefs are friendly as they cook up your dish. You see each piece of ingredient enter into the frying pan. I love the whole idea of seeing your food being cooked in front of you. The wait is roughly 5 minutes, pretty decent I must say. The self service style is a bit of a hit and miss with me, considering I am very clumsy, so I was very scared of dropping my beautifully made pasta on the floor as we head upstairs. 

Carbonara- $17.90

I opted for the Carbonara because anything described as creamy attracts my eyes. The taste of onion was prominent but not the dominant flavour. The bacon and cheese blended together to add another level to the creamy sauce of the Carbonara. There is a surprisingly generous portion of pasta in this dish, not huge, but decent for the price. I was very satisfied with this dish.

I am definitely coming back and trying out some other things from the pizza section or maybe even salad section. 

Have you tried Vapiano before? What's your favourite pasta?

Cnr King Street & York Street

Sydney, NSW 2000

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HELLO AGAIN. I have somewhat been mia from this blog this past month. With exam period and all, this blog became the last thing on my mind. A lack of motivation to blog also accounts for my disappearance from the blogosphere, but I want to start up again and hopefully put up more content soon. If you've been following my Instagram you would have noticed the increasing amount of food appearing on your feed from me. These are places I've recently tried and I plan on reviewing them soon, but all I will say is that they were DELICIOUS!

I just realised my image has nothing to do with what I'm posting about, but it was just such a pretty picture. It was the view I had from the Star hotel the other week. Such a great view to wake up too, if only I could wake up to it everyday. 

ooh I'm getting my exam results in a few days and I am freaking out so much. I have never freaked out this much about results, but this time is different, because the possibility of failure is higher than usual, sadly. Failing a subject isn't the end of the world, but I rather not have to repeat a subject... Wish me luck for those results! Actually, there's nothing I can really do about them now, but hey, wishful thinking that luck will change my results somehow...

Anyhow, what have you guys been up to? I'll talk to you soon again. 

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SIDE DISHES GALORE. Nothing is better than a hot bowl of ramen on a cold winter's night. The entrance to Ramen Kan is a dodgey looking stairwell on the side of Oportos,however upon entering the establishment you are greeted with a modern and elegant interior. Waiters carry iPads at their side to take the customers orders. It is quite a small establishment in that their tables are mainly suited to groups of 4. For the 5 of us, it was a bit of a squeeze on the table, but I didn't mind too much. We ordered quite a few side dishes and at $3 each who could resist.

Tonkotsu Ramen- $10.90

Every time I try a new ramen place, I tend to order the classic Tonkotsu Ramen. The broth is not as thick as other places but it goes down smoothly with a punch of milky flavour, the usual for a Tonkotsu Ramen. I finished almost all my broth because there was something about the flavour that kept drawing me back. The noodles were average I must admit. A bit too soft for my liking, but I can't complain too much. The egg in this wasn't as gooey as I'm used too, but it didn't take away too much from the ramen itself. The pork slices however was something I never had before in ramen. It was a different cut of meat, not too sure what it was but it added an unusual texture to the classic ramen. This ramen may not be my favourite of all time, but it does leave me wanting to return to Ramen Kan to try the different ramens.

Salmon salad- $3

As for the side dish I ordered, I thought there would be a lot more salmon. There was more mayo then salmon in this dish. The salad itself was delicious. I just love Japanese salads so much, I really need to find the sauce jap restaurants use. I also tried the Karage chicken, although not pictured here, it was pretty good. On par with the Karage chicken I had from Kanzo. 

Ramen Kan is a place I recommend to people looking for a quick and easy meal at affordable prices. For those who aren't as famished, a few side dishes will do the trick, although care must be taken in the ones you choose because according to my friends, they were a bit of a hit and miss. One unfortunate thing about this noodle place is the service. Not the friendliest people you would meet. Is the lack in customer service made up by the quality of the food? I guess but I do wish I had a better experience here. With that being said, I still want to come back to try everything else.

Have you tried Ramen Kan before? What noodle places do you recommend? 

90 Hay St

Haymarket, NSW 2000

 
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STRUGGLE STREET WITH BENTOS. Not too long ago myself and my food companion decided to try a new place at Parramatta, because everytime we had a girl's day out shopping, we would always end up having lunch in the food court. And that's how we ended up in Kanzo. A cosy restaurant located on the streets of Parrammatta. I didn't really have high hopes for this restaurant based on the exterior, but they do say never judge a book by its cover.

 I ordered the Karage Chicken Bento with Katsu Pork,  I forgot the price of it, but it is deiniftely worth it for how much food you get. There wasso much food in my bento box. When they first brought out the box I was like woaaaaah how on earth am I going to finish this. It was definitely a struggle to even finish the Katsu Pork pieces, but I did manage to devour the Karage chicken.

The Katsu Pork was sweet and almost sour, I believe because of the sauce that was served at the bottom of it, but that's what made the pieces really nice. As for the Karage chicken pieces, those was amazing! I loved it alot and wanted more of that chicken after finishing the 2 pieces I was given.

I would definitely come back here with my family next time as it is both a delicious restaurant and it's also very nice on my wallet, if you know what I mean. 

Have you tried Kanzo before?

6/55-57 George Street

Parramatta, NSW 2150

 


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HOLY GRAIL PRODUCTS. Wow, another month is already gone and we are now nearing the half way mark of 2014. This month has been a month of discovery. I have rediscovered my old and loved products and also found some new gems to add to my collection. So let's start off with my beauty related favourites for the month.

UDON FOR ME, UDON FOR YOU.Hidden next to Pepper Lunch, lies this gem of a restaurant. Taking on a canteen style of service, Menya Mappen offers a range of udon and soba. It is my go to spot for a fast,cheap and delicious meal. When you first walk in you will be asked about what type of soup/noodle you would like and my choice of course is the Spicy Pork Udon (I forget the actual name, but that should be right...). As you move along, with your tray and bowl of udon in hand, you go past the hot section with an array of delicious side dishes. My favourites are the Takoyaki and Chicken tempura. Then you reach the end of the road and find yourself faced with 2 enormous trays of spring onion and flakes which look like they belong to the tempura batter, but honestly, they taste so good in your udon. At this point, I decide to pile on the greens, as you can never overkill on spring onions. 

I don't recall to well the prices of everything, but I know that by the end of it I paid less than $11 for my entire meal which includes a bowl of udon, takoyaki balls and chicken tempura. VERY CHEAP I must say. You may think that the price would mean that there is a sacrifice on quality, but there definitely isn't one here. I love this place so much and would recommend to everyone who loves udon!

Have you tried Menya Mappen before?

Shop 11, 537 - 551 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000

 

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