Memoirs of a Foodie: October 2015

Being in Canberra for only a weekend in September I was challenged with the daunting task of narrowing down the long list of eateries that populated the nation's capital city. After much mulling over Zomato, The Cupping Room was one that made the the cut and I can confidently say I had no regrets.

Inside the cafe

A beautiful timber high ceiling made the place feel extremely spacious and inviting and the large window panes added to that effect while also permitting plenty of natural light through to brighten up the interior. The Cupping Room emanated an atmosphere that was warm and lively which only gave it more reason for patrons to stop by to grab a coffee-to-go, or enjoy some breakfast or lunch.

Coffee selection

Drinks menu

I would have loved to try one of their hot chocolate drinks as they sounded divine but the sweet tooth in me was yearning for the salted caramel and popcorn king shake.

Food menu

I respect cafes that do an all day menu as it offers so much more flexibility for cafe-goers to go anytime of the day without worrying about the options being limited to the breakfast or lunch menu. The Cupping Room had an extensive all day menu at that, so we were completely spoiled for choice. Everything sounded amazing and tempting but alas we could only pick two items.

Kids menu

It was also a plus that they had a kids selection of food and drink.

Salted Caramel and Popcorn King Shake $7.50

The shake was everything I expected it to be. Full of sweet salted caramel flavour and it wasn't particularly thick but wasn't thin either, I suppose it was the perfect milkshake consistency. The popcorn was coated heavily in salted caramel which served to exaggerate the flavour of the milkshake and with the bonus of being delicious and crunchy as they disappeared one by one into my mouth. DT and I loved it and it was gone pretty quickly. This was seriously an overdose of sugar which was good and bad. The bad being the amount of calories one would need to burn off afterwards.

House Blend Milk Coffee

I went with their house blend which consisted of 60% Brazil Santa Lucia, 20% El Salvador Villa Galicia and 20% El Salvador Supersonic. I wasn't even aware that there were such elaborate names for coffee beans. I had no complaints about the coffee as it was smooth and creamy. It was described to have notes of nuts and chocolate which I could clearly detect.

Seasonal Blend Milk Coffee

DT had the seasonal blend which consisted of 80% Ethiopian Beloya and 20% Ethiopia Kochere. This was the blend that the waiter had also recommended. It was a positively different coffee experience as it had really apparent fruity notes. It was a little strange for a coffee as fruit flavours are more common with teas but I found it quite pleasant.

Tuna Tartare $22

Middle eastern spiced tuna tartare, charred peppers, chickpeas, lemon and sumac, yoghurt, crispy flat bread and a kataifi egg. A strikingly vibrant dish, especially with those bright red peppers enhancing the colour of the raw tuna and the contrasting splash of green watercress against the golden kataifi egg and flat bread. All of the plated elements went so well together; the soft tuna tartare was overloaded with spicy and earthy flavours and was extremely delicious with the amazingly crispy flatbread that literally shattered between my teeth. The unique presentation of the egg was a refreshing sight as I am so accustomed to having them poached and it was my first time to hear of kataifi pastry which is a shredded filo pastry that is typically used for making sweets.

Kataifi egg

The entangled strands of kataifi pastry formed a sensational crispy shell encasing a perfectly done soft boiled egg. As we split it in half we watched in amazement the wonderfully creamy, orange yolk slowing oozing out. Everything about the tuna tartare dish was awesome but that extraordinary egg was without a doubt, the highlight.

French Toast $18

Coconut French toast, strawberries, ewe's curd, citrus gel, sherbet meringue, pistachio praline and basil. When the waiter came out with my dish I was gobsmacked by the presentation and I'm sure the majority of the diners there were the same as I observed their eyes lingering on this beauty. I was so ecstatic about digging in but I was also really quite reluctant to decimate it with my knife and fork. Cutting into the French toast was done effortlessly, it was slightly crunchy on the outside due to being pan-fried and the inside was so soft and fluffy. I could feel my eyes widen in approval as I had my first mouthful of toast and couldn't believe how yummy it was. The coconut flavour really shined and the pistachio praline was the perfect nutty sweetness. Shards of sherbet meringue scattered around the French toast disintegrated on the tongue into sugary goodness and the citrus gel and strawberries provided some tartness to complete a wonderful creation.

If only The Cupping Room was located closer to home because then I would be able to try more of their food. Their unique blends of coffee did not disappoint and the dishes we had were spectacular. I also can't forget the salted caramel milkshake which completely satisfied my sweet tooth.

XS Espresso is a small cafe situated in a large outdoor complex called Greenway Plaza in Wetherill Park. It seemed a little out of place among the less vibrant eateries there and would fit right in at Surry Hills or Alexandria where all these sorts of cafes tend to frequent. It's great to have trendy cafes be accessible locally though and I for one am all for it. There's also sufficient parking available so you won't have to resort to parking on the street which is a relief.

It seemed all the locals have heard of this place as it was brimming with people and we had to wait roughly 15 minutes for a table. The cafe could have done with more waitstaff so people could have been seated more efficiently.

Pretty green decor

I really liked the ambience created with the green pot plants against the brick walls which brought about a rustic and hipster feel. The green hues were also relaxing to the eyes and those hanging light bulbs really spruced up and brightened up the cafe.

Breakfast menu

As DT and I had just come out from a morning of swimming, I was quite famished, so I ordered the 'Big XS Breakfast'. I have seen photos on Instagram of the 'Acai Bowl' and it certainly looks very pretty however, I am not quite at the stage where I will order healthier dishes, although perhaps I should give them a try and end up feeling less guilty about overindulging on the weekends.

Lunch menu

DT went with the 'XS Chicken Burger'.

Drinks menu

Dessert menu

I'm always tempted by desserts and XS Espresso has quite a generous selection, from churros, to waffles, crepes and pancakes. I will definitely have to come back to try them and what a relief that they serve their desserts until 10pm. The scrolls on display in their glass cabinets were also very enticing but I had to use all my willpower to decide against them because I was ordering their epic milkshakes, two of them at that.

Left: Tim Tam & Natural Peanut Butter $7 Right: The Volcano $14

You might notice that 'The Volcano' isn't listed on their drinks menu and will observe many people around you with awesome looking concoctions that you can't pinpoint on the menu. The Volcano was one of these "off-the-menu" drinks and hence was something I had to ask for at the counter.

Tim Tam & Natural Peanut Butter $7

The Tim Tam and peanut butter milkshake was definitely the favourite of the two. They went super heavy with the whipped cream and it arrived with two peanut butter Tim Tams. Win. The milkshake itself was heavenly, it was really thick in consistency and chock full of peanut butter and chocolate flavour. One of the only milkshakes I have ever had that I thought was worth the price.

The Volcano $14

The Volcano wasn't as amazing, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. The milkshake had the same consistency but because it was chocolate-flavoured it wasn't as exciting as the peanut butter one and was a little plain in comparison. The volcano cake on the other hand was incredible. It was so rich and moist with a chocolate centre that was so delectably gooey. It was without a doubt, the icing on top. It was pricey though, costing a hefty $14, and I was quite shocked when I saw the charge on the receipt but I think the volcano cake itself was almost worth it.

These super shakes are not good if you're watching out for your waistline (I don't even want to comprehend the sheer amount of calories in these beasts) but if you want a guilty sweet treat then by all means order their milkshakes because you won't leave disappointed.

XS Chicken Burger $15.00

The grilled chicken had a lovely smokey charred flavour to it that wasn't overly done however I did find the chicken a little on the overcooked side of things because it was slightly dry in the middle. There was also a bit too much rocket for my taste making it a tad too bitter but their delicious tangy house-made Peri-Peri sauce helped to counteract that somewhat. The deep-fried potato chips were crunchy, not surprisingly, and served their purpose as a carbolicious side.

Big XS Breakfast $18

Having had the 'Big Breakfast' from Trio in Bondi Beach which lived up to its name, the 'Big XS Breakfast' was not as impressive. It paled in size and while I was full from the meal I wasn't stuffed which was subsequently a good thing for my stomach. You can have the eggs poached, scrambled or fried and being a poached egg kind of girl that's how I ordered them. It came with two slices of toasted sourdough bread, bacon, baby truss tomato, avocado mash, spinach and sautéed mushrooms. It was an ordinary assortment of breakfast foods, the spinach and mushrooms were juicy and seasoned well while the bacon was crispy and savoury. The avocado mash was mellow in flavour which balanced out the saltiness of the other components.

Obligatory yolk shot

The yolk wasn't as a runny as I had hoped but it wasn't unacceptable by any means and made for a nice gooey spread on the sourdough.

XS Espresso is a solid cafe in South West Sydney that excels at epic milkshakes. They are seriously worth trying as so far I consider them the best. Their food items aren't bad either and you've got to love that they have a dessert bar going on at night time for that sugar hit.

Menya Mappen needs no introduction as it is one of the top picks for those desiring a cheap and satisfying feed and fulfils those criteria with ease. It differs by being a self-serve restaurant and was the first one of its type to set up shop in Sydney. If the lines during peak dinner time are anything to go by, its popularity hasn't dwindled ever since opening which was quite a few years ago. I recall frequenting here back in my uni days for a filling meal that wouldn't break the bank and now and again I would visit just to get my udon fix.

A self-serve noodle bar with a retro feel

Bright and colourful menu

There were seriously so many options, I had trouble making a decision. On top of the three broths to choose from (tonkotsu, kake and bukakke) you also have a choice between udon or soba noodles which Yuri mentioned are made from scratch in a factory located in Marrickville so you know for certain you'll be getting authentic noodles and none of that pre-packaged instant stuff one can easily find at Asian grocery stores. If you want the healthier option, get the soba which is a thin noodle made from buckwheat with a nutty flavour, otherwise, if you want thick, soft and chewy noodles then udon, made from wheat flour, is the way to go.

Assortment of hot sides

After grabbing your tray and ordering your bowl of noodles, you will then be presented with a substantial assortment of deep-fried or grilled sides ranging in price from $1.20 to $2.50. Since the sides can potentially be left out to sit on the counter for some time (unavoidable for a self-serve type eatery) the crunchiness of the tempura would be sacrificed, although for the price, one can't really complain.

Vegetable fish cake $2.40

Skewers of sausage tempura, vegetable fish cakes and takoyaki were super tempting and I decided on some takoyaki.

Sweet potato and pumpkin tempura $2.50 and fish cake tempura $2.20

We also ended up with one of each of these.

Cold sides

Next up was the cold section which to be honest I never took much notice of during my previous visits. It housed a variety of toppings such as seaweed, grated white radish, sansai (vegetables), bamboo shoots, chuka wakame (type of seaweed), homemade kimchi, sweet corn and marinated pork cha-shu. They also had potato salad, natto and mochi. Having heard quite a few things about natto I was eager to try it so Yuri happily grabbed a container of natto for me and also two mochi balls for dessert.

Cheap, yummy and filling meal for 2 people

Natto

The natto came conveniently packaged in a polystyrene container with a packet of soy sauce and mustard. Yuri kindly demonstrated how to prepare it and involved simply adding everything in and then mixing extremely thoroughly with a pair of chopsticks.

Yuri showing us the consistency of natto after mixing

Yuri said to prepare natto correctly, it needs to be mixed at least 100 times to attain the appropriate consistency and taste. The stringy and slimy texture was fascinating and without Yuri's knowledge I wouldn't have known to mix it to such an extent. Natto is made from soybean fermented with a beneficial bacteria called Bacillus subtilis and during this process, an enzyme called nattokinase is produced. The vigorous act of mixing produces sticky strings that are mainly comprised of polyglutamic acids. Natto is very nutritious, is cholesterol-free and has cardiovascular benefits due to the presence of nattokinase.

Natto is definitely an acquired taste as it has a peculiar smell to it and pretty slimy. It was my first time to try natto and I was curious about it after watching Benji from itsjudyslife have it for breakfast on a frequent basis. I'm reluctant to admit that I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped as it had a pungent chemical taste that wasn't masked by the soy sauce and if anything was enhanced by the mustard. I struggled to finish it but did manage to eat more than half. Despite everything, I am willing to give it another shot but with a bowl of rice which is how it is commonly eaten in Japan.

Apple Cider

I could definitely detect undertones of cider but being quite minimal it tasted predominantly like apple juice. It was a bit too sweet for me unfortunately.

White grape juice

I really liked this drink as the grape flavour was so intense and brought back childhood memories of grape-flavoured Hubba Bubba which was my favourite.

Mt. Beef Soba

Yuri recommends the soba noodles which was DT's choice. Having the chilled version was perfect for the hot weather and would be especially awesome in the summer when having a hot soup dish may not be the most desirable meal. There was certainly a mountain of beef given making it excellent value for money and also for upping that protein intake. Texture-wise the soba noodles had really good bite, I thoroughly enjoyed the slight chew to them and the dipping sauce was a pleasant and subtle way of incorporating flavour and making the noodles just much more slurpable and delicious.

Soba noodles with dipping sauce

Soba dipping sauce usually comprises a mixture of mirin, soy sauce, sake and dashi. It was very light and didn't overpower the noodles. You are only required to gather a few strands of soba with your chopsticks and briefly submerge them in the sauce before slurping the noodles up. Very delicious and made all the difference in taste.

Bukkake Ontama with udon (Regular: $4.90, Large: $6.40)

I opted for udon in bukkake sauce served hot and a soft boiled egg. The bukakke sauce made using their special soy sauce and bonito flake stock was essentially a more concentrated dashi broth that was incredibly delicious, despite it being described as a sauce it was still very light. The udon noodles were just how I remembered them, slippery and chewy, the way they should be. A soft boiled egg is always such a treat when done right and Mappen always delivers with a creamy yolk centre and jelly-like egg white. A thin slice of deep-fried tofu (aburaage in Japanese) was a good selection by Yuri to pair with the udon as it was juicy and sweet and a squeeze of lemon added some tartness to balance out the flavours. For a dish consisting of simple ingredients it made for a satisfying and tasty meal, and not to mention very affordable.

Sweet potato and pumpkin tempura and fish cake tempura

My favourite would have to be the sweet potato and pumpkin tempura. It was a delicious golden ball of deep-fried goodness. Despite it not being as crunchy as it would have been if it was freshly prepared it still retained some crunch factor and I really loved the subtle sweetness of the vegetables used. The fish cake tempura was also yummy, it had a nice chewy texture and the batter was light and crisp.

Karaage and takoyaki skewer

By the time I had a bite of karaage, it no longer had a crunchy skin which was disappointing but the innards were flavoursome and juicy. The takoyaki was still slightly warm and soft. An ample amount of takoyaki sauce drizzled on top and garnishing of bonito flakes together created the classic and traditional flavours of these octopus balls.

Mochi with red bean filling

Mochi red bean filling

The mochi was the perfect way to end the meal on a sweet note. I particularly enjoyed the mochi coated in ground black and white sesame seeds as the hint of saltiness from the sesame complemented the sweet red bean filling so well. The mochi skin itself was delightfully soft, smooth and bouncy in texture.

Happy hour special

Mappen also have a happy hour special between 2pm to 6pm and allows a selection of three items from the range on the board for only $9.90 which is a total bargain.

Washoku Lovers members

Don't forget to show your Washoku Lovers member card at Mappen to get a free apple cider worth $1.90. Membership is completely free and as a member you'll instantly gain access to freebies and discounts from a range of partnered Japanese restaurants in and around Sydney.
To sign up: Washoku Lovers

You will not be disappointed by Mappen as you will get your money's worth and be content with their delicious authentic udon and soba noodles. There are a myriad of ways to have them, whether it be with their tonkotsu or kake broth or their bukakke sauce and there's even a curry variation as well which is one of my favourites.

Thank you to Yuri from SDMG Marketing for the invitation to dine at Mappen

Owned by chef Kentaro Takayama, notice how the name of the cafe is his first name spelt backwards, he is passionate about producing simple, good quality food with Japanese roots. Cafe Oratnek has emerged among a myriad of other cafes but proves itself to be different from the lot by injecting a Japanese twist into their breakfast and lunch menu. Cafe Cre Asion, you say? Well, they specialise in matcha beverages and desserts (green tea chocolate fondant anyone?) and they do excel in those aspects but in regards to their savoury foods, there's not much on offer with the exception of their small variety of sandwiches. Here comes Cafe Oratnek with a more substantial lunch menu to fill in that void.

Mint fork sign

When you're navigating the streets in search of Cafe Oratnek, keep on the look-out for the mint green fork emblazoned on a wooden panel hanging from a sign post. Without its existence one would easily miss the tiny cafe as it inhabits a terrace house that looks much like the rest of the residential buildings on the street.

Outdoor and indoor seating

DT and I didn't wait long which was sheer luck because as soon as were seated, more and more customers came trickling in to form a relatively long line for such a tiny cafe. However, we were seated in the outdoor area without any shade available and I regretted not waiting for a table indoors as it was blazingly hot and sunny to the point I was sweating which was not pleasant at all.

Peach, mango, mint iced tea $6 and matcha thick shake $7

As I was burning in the hot sun, I went for the iced tea which was refreshing but nothing special, it could have really done with more ice cubes because it wasn't chilled enough for me. Good points to note were that it wasn't overly sweetened and the mango pieces at the bottom were ripe and sweet. A spoon should have been provided so I could have scooped them up instead of having to stab at them with my plastic straw which seemed a little too desperate, but I didn't want those mango pieces to go to waste.

DT chose the matcha thick shake as it sounded delicious and promising but we were left sorely disappointed. For starters, the thick shake wasn't the least bit thick, it was more like your typical shake if anything. The portion was meagre against the $7 price tag, and for such a price more effort in the presentation should have been considered. We couldn't detect much green tea flavour either and the drink itself was not cold enough which wasn't satisfying on such a hot day.

Drinks Menu

Breakfast Menu

Lunch Menu

Spicy pork stuffed chicken wings, chilli jam, chips, green laver $18

These were not your ordinary chicken wing due to the clever concealment of the minced spicy pork ball and it's worth mentioning that it wasn't very spicy. The pork mince was perfection though, as it was bursting with flavour and really juicy. The chicken itself was fantastic, with succulent flesh and a crisp savoury skin that was straight up addictive. The chips delivered by having a crunchy exterior and were seasoned well. I tried to like the chilli jam however it quickly became neglected as I felt that the condiment was out of place, being too tomatoey and sweet and as a result it didn't really complement the chicken.

200g pork fillet katsu, cabbage, Japanese BBQ sauce, mustard $12

If you want a meal with sustenance then this it it. Sandwiches would have be my least favourite choice for lunch but if we're getting a juicy slab of pork fillet katsu involved then that's a different story. In Japan, this is known as katsu sando (katsu sandwich) and Cafe Oratnek has hit the nail on the head with this lunch item. The crustless sandwich was sliced into three, making them easy to hold for devouring and also perfect for sharing, but as they were so good I was reluctant to. The bread, which is sourced from Brickfields was soft and fluffy, and the ratio of bread to pork was perfect. The tangy mustard and sweet Japanese BBQ sauce bursted in a melody of flavours against the savoury crunchy breaded pork whereas the shredded cabbage helped to tone down everything just a notch while adding extra texture.

Chips, aonori, murray river pink salt, ketchup $6

We could have totally done without these as if we had paid attention to the menu we would have realised that the chicken wings came with a serving of chips. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of seaweed flakes on ours, however the pink salt was sprinkled on quite generously. We did notice inconsistencies in the chips as the batch served with the chicken wings was obviously crunchier whereas these ones were slightly underdone which was a shame. Overall, the chips were pretty ordinary with the aonori only there for aesthetics and not much else.

Cafe Oratnek easily impressed with their well executed pork katsu sando and the chicken wings were amazing too. I can't wait to come back to try their other sandwich options and the trending matcha lamington which looks gorgeous. The portions were also very reasonable as DT and I left more than satisfied. However, give the matcha shake a miss as it was nothing but disappointing.

Pages

Follow Me

Total Pageviews

Search This Blog

Labels

Blog Archive

Report Abuse