Fat Panda has been around for a long time, and my first visit was many moons ago at their mini sushi train. I remember it being pretty average and was merely a convenient place for quick Japanese food. Considering the abundance of Vietnamese restaurants in Canley Heights I don't intend to have Japanese food when I'm there so I essentially forgot about Fat Panda. However, I did pay them a visit recently with some good friends and discovered that the restaurant had been revamped dramatically.

Reasonably priced octopus balls but they were obviously pre-made frozen ones heated prior to serving due to the not so gooey insides. I wasn't particularly fussed though as they were smothered with yummy takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise but in saying that they could have done with a more heavy dusting of katsuoboshi (bonito flakes). Green laver wasn't used either which detracted from the authenticity. 

So glad we ordered the roll as I was actually quite impressed with the presentation when it arrived. We were afraid it would be too spicy but thankfully it wasn't. Only a hint of heat resonated on the tongue which really served to elevate the bold flavours. Sushi rice and seaweed was wrapped securely around crispy golden fried ebi (prawn) and fresh spicy raw tuna. Couple that with some smashed avocado on top and roe for extra texture and pop of colour and everything was an amazing combination as it was spicy, salty and creamy all at once. The only concern was the price as $20 for a roll was excessive especially for a restaurant in Canley Heights as the suburb doesn't exactly scream upperclass. I suppose Fat Panda gets away with it seeing that Japanese is pretty niche in the area. 

A dish that we felt was lacking especially since the main attraction was the tofu. The firm tofu was not silken in texture at all and instead honestly quite lumpy and not creamy which was an indicator that it was overcooked. Additionally, the exterior should have been slightly crispy but it was really soggy perhaps because we allowed the tofu to settle in the soy broth for too long. My favourite agedashi tofu has so far been from Ippudo and Fat Panda's was disappointing in comparison save for the soy broth but even that didn't stop it from being bland.

We received an appreciable mix of tempura cucumber, sweet potato and eggplant slices. I couldn't help but keep returning for more as the batter was really delicious and crispy while the vegetables housed inside were soft and piping hot. It's always so satisfying to hear that awaited crunch as one bites into tempura. The sweet potato would definitely be my favourite to munch on due to the contrasting sweetness of the potato with the slight saltiness from the tempura batter. A bit on the oilier side compared to other tempura I have tried from other restaurants but still really decent nonetheless especially for a Japanese place in Canley Heights.

Unfortunately Fat Panda's karaage chicken fell short as the batter wasn't crunchy enough and rather required some effort to bite through because it was tough in some areas. It didn't help that the soy marinated chicken pieces were not very succulent either. From what I've experienced karaage chicken is meant to be really juicy inside. I had to cover the fried chicken with plenty of the mayo provided to mask its dryness. 

The ribs were uniquely presented to us in a cute little pan whereas I had definitely pictured a rack of ribs when we ordered it. Not a negative thing in the least as it meant we were saved from creating a sticky mess trying to separate the ribs. The marinade was absolutely delicious, sweet and sticky, and as BBQ-ey as BBQ-flavoured sauce can get. I'm not usually a BBQ sauce kind of person but they were surprisingly good and the beef was fall off the bone tender which got two thumbs up from me. What was also really good was the side of sweet potato chips, crunchy outside and pillowy soft inside, what more could you ask for?

Fat Panda is a far from being a bad option for when you're in the mood for something a bit more adventurous and have tired of Thai or Vietnamese when you're in Canley Heights. The food was mostly average but with some standouts like the spicy tuna and ebi roll and BBQ beef ribs. Their vegetable tempura wouldn't be a bad choice either. A little on the expensive side though when you're familiar with the surrounding Vietnamese restaurants selling really filling and tasty dishes for around $10 to $15.

I've only been to one Indian restaurant before and that is Neelam in Parramatta which I have found to be quite good but I wanted to explore other options and happened to read about Harris Park which is Sydney's "Little India". That being the case, deciding on which Indian restaurant to go to when you're in Harris Park is a challenge in itself. It was my first time to visit the area so I did some research beforehand and eventually narrowed down on Ginger Indian Restaurant which specialises in North Indian Mughlai cuisine.

A humid day warranted a nice cold drink. Mango lassi was my choice and it is essentially a mango milkshake but yoghurt is substituted for ice cream. It was super thick and creamy and was sweet from the mango and tart from the yoghurt.

Imagine going to an Indian restaurant and not ordering naan, just the very thought is preposterous. While you can get ordinary plain naan when you have the option of having the cheese or garlic variation it is difficult to resist and that was exactly what we ordered, no surprise there. There is even a cheese and garlic naan so if you could only pick one then I think that would be an obvious choice.

The unleavened flat bread was so wonderfully soft and warm and the melted cheese inside added a delectable chewy texture. Easily enjoyed on its own but my favourite way to eat it would definitely be dousing it in some yummy curry. 

Compared to the cheese naan the garlic naan was more aromatic due to being topped with finely grated garlic and the absence of cheese meant that the flat bread had some defined layers and a more crisp and charred exterior. 

In an attempt to deviate from the usual butter chicken we opted for the tikka which according to the menu is a Westernised dish and I've discovered that it is hugely popular in the UK. The curry, cooked in tandoor was deliciously rich and creamy with a hint of masala to add some spiciness and was perfectly balanced out with naan or rice. The chunks of chicken were also very tender and flavourful and topped with thinly sliced almonds. As for portion size it was large enough to share between two people.

The waitress recommended a North Indian non-vegetarian curry which DT and I absolutely loved. Consisting of juicy button mushrooms cooked in a tomato-based gravy with onions it was actually quite a healthy dish now that I look back on it and despite its colour it wasn't spicy at all. The redness only comes from the tomatoes. An excellent side dish and not as rich as the chicken tikka masala which was great. Taking the ingredients into consideration though I did think the price was a bit much. 

You can't have curry without rice, not me anyway. Plain white rice pairs beautifully with thick and rich Indian curries which would be difficult to eat by themselves. I also really like that basmati rice doesn't seem to be as filling as medium grain rice which inevitably results in me eating more than I should.

While the whole street is lined with Indian restaurants, you can't miss this particular place with its vivid blue signage and the chilli pepper for the letter "I". And what you'll immediately notice about all the Indian restaurants in the area is that they all occupy former residential spaces so you'll definitely feel right at home inside. Overall, DT and I had the pleasure to enjoy excellent food at Ginger Indian Restaurant which came out in a timely manner and the service was simply really lovely and prompt.

Quite possibly the best watermelon shake I've ever had. Having been disappointed with watermelon shakes from other places in the past this one was certainly a surprising encounter. It was completely devoid of any pungent aroma that was indicative of old watermelon and instead was full of refreshing sweetness from perfectly ripened watermelon and of course some sugar syrup for flavour enhancing.

When I was first introduced to Thai food I had developed a strong affliction for pad thai to the level where I even attempted to make it multiple times, unfortunately coming up extremely unsuccessful every single time. For some reason, it was insanely difficult to get the balance of flavours right, it was either too sweet or too salty and didn't taste remotely like what I could order at the restaurant. Obviously I admitted defeat and had to be content with just eating pad thai at an authentic Thai place. I have since exhausted my addiction for pad thai and subsequently moved on to pad see ew which is my favourite Thai dish apart from green curry.

Twelve Spices dish up a wonderful pad see ew and it's good enough (if not better) that I wouldn't even bother going to Holy Basil again. The thick flat rice noodles were stir-fried to attain the highly sought after 'wok hei' and without it the dish would be flat and to put it bluntly, boring to eat. There was plenty of flavour from the dark sweet soy sauce and oyster sauce and I've come to prefer the saltiness of pad see ew as opposed to pad thai which is much sweeter. Pad see ew's saltiness was perfectly balanced out with a squeeze of lemon and contrasting textures achieved with Chinese broccoli, scrambled eggs and a choice of protein.

Mum and I were impressed with the large portion and even more so that every bit of the crab was covered in delectably crispy golden batter seasoned with salt, pepper, chilli and garlic. A tentative bite into the salty and crispy exterior allowed a union with the hot, juicy and succulent meat within and it was straight up addictive when dipped into the sweet chilli sauce on the side. I haven't had a particularly terrible soft shell crab before but the one at Twelve Spices was certainly on the verge of being up there with one of the best. 

The duck salad came out a fair bit after the first two dishes so by that point we were already reaching our limit for fullness. In addition, when it came to the table I was puzzled as it didn't look anything like what was pictured on the menu and I had to clarify that it was the correct dish with one of the waiters. Appearance aside, it was a delicious and wholesome salad and I was super impressed by the amount of roasted duck meat present which was also really fleshy and juicy. The duck was tossed through papaya salad, a popular Thai salad and I did enjoy them together however the only negative was that too much of it meant my tastebuds eventually became overwhelmed with saltiness from the fish sauce and crab paste and sourness from the lime juice that made up the dressing.

I'm sure I have a developed natural tendency to save room for dessert as there was no stopping me from ordering dessert even though my stomach was ready to burst. I had already decided on getting the green tea ice cream variant but knowing my luck, they didn't have any so I settled for black sesame instead. Gone are the days of deep fried ice cream balls with an ordinary crumbed batter, deep fried pastry skin surrounding a thick slab of ice cream is the be all and end all. 

The fried ice cream at Twelve Spices was pretty good but not great. Warm and crisp pastry combined with the cold richness of black sesame ice cream was delightful in the mouth but it lost points for being quite melted and it seems to be a problem that hasn't been rectified since I last had it. Recognition for the most skilfully executed deep fried ice cream has to go to Green Peppercorn or Holy Basil. How such a crisp and thin skin yet completely solid ice cream is achieved is beyond me and it leaves me utterly impressed every time when I cut through it. Kudos to Twelve Spices though for offering different and exotic flavours of ice cream while its competitors only do vanilla.

We all know how packed out Holy Basil can get and the amount of people I see waiting for a table there is ridiculous when I know a great, if not better Thai place is only minutes away. Green Peppercorn still wins my heart and stomach with its desserts but if you just want savoury food then you should be inclined to pay Twelve Spices a visit. I also love their green curry which I didn't have on this occasion but I wouldn't recommended their ox tongue as they were thickly sliced and quite chewy when I tried it. In terms of service, it was what would be expected for the restaurant, the food came out reasonably quick but not all at once and at times it was difficult to get attention as all the staff seemed really occupied.

If you were to ask me when Chanoma came to exist I wouldn't be able to give you a sure answer as this vibrant little Japanese cafe seems to have been around since forever. It can be found inside Regent Place which is a supremely popular hub that has undergone a major transformation over the years.

The decor consists of simple, clean lines, timber furnishings against green hues and bright lighting to create a casual yet modern ambience. It's the perfect destination for a quick meal, with a range of Japanese-style hot dogs and an abundance of matcha beverages and desserts to choose from.

Chanoma has introduced a new dessert selection for the summer which are the shaved ice bowls (kakigori) pictured above: Mt Everest, Snowy Mountain, Mt Fuji, Mt Kilimanjaro are the four variations available. Kakigori is a traditional Japanese summer dessert and is the perfect way to cool down from Sydney's temperamental but mostly hot and balmy weather.

With your Washoku Lovers card you can access a combo meal deal for just $8.50 which includes chicken nuggets 4pcs ($3.90 worth), Chanoma dog ($4.90 worth), and a matcha latte ($4.80 worth) or cajyutta (grapefruit juice) ($5.90 worth). The selection represents great value for money so I will definitely need to get it in the future.

I had no doubt in my mind that teriyaki chicken stuffed in a hot dog roll would taste good and in fact it was really great. One bite and I could draw similarities to the chicken rolls I would often get from the Vietnamese bakeries in Cabramatta back in my days as a student. The teriyaki chicken filling was plentiful and full of flavour from the sweet soy sauce marinade and combined with the creamy mayonnaise it was utterly delicious. There was only one downside which was the roll itself being quite tough to bite into and pull apart.

DT and I liked the teriyaki chicken dog more but the tonkatsu dog was still really tasty and I would  not hesitate to get it again after trying the other Japadogs first. The tonkatsu dog from Chanoma pays homage to tonkatsu by presenting a battered, deep-fried Kransky inside a hot dog roll. Actually, it was much like a corn dog but without the stick. Crispy and golden brown batter encased what is probably my favourite kind of sausage (besides lup cheong and Thai sausages) and I love Kransky due to its firmness and ensuing juiciness once you break through the skin. 

A generous drizzle of tonkatsu sauce and mayo completed the package and made it a very scrumptious hot dog to eat. I especially enjoyed the contrast of delicious crunchy batter against the meaty sausage and I didn't find it too oily. Again, the bread itself was difficult to bite through.

From the new menu, Yuri kindly ordered us the Mt Fuji shaved ice dessert. It was quite a big portion to share between DT and I but we managed to finish it, thanks to myself mostly. Being quite a humid night I was thrilled to have such a refreshing and yummy matcha dessert to cool down with. There was an apt amount of matcha flavour and even better that the matcha syrup was really creamy. Although it was sweet, it was perfectly balanced out by the mountain of finely shaved ice. 

A huge dollop of sweet azuki on the side was most welcome and the combination of matcha and azuki in this dessert really confirmed their marriage for me as I couldn't help but scoop up a mixture of the shaved ice and azuki with my spoon. The dango (Japanese sweet made from rice flour) was firm and chewy in the middle and a good way to incorporate different textures into the dessert which was also achieved with azuki.

DT and I also had a matcha float ($5.90) which is my favourite drink from Chanoma because it's matcha soft serve in a matcha drink aka green tea overload. The main reason why I find it so good is because it's not overly sweetened so one can still appreciate the wonderful bitterness of matcha in a muted fashion and it's also super refreshing on a hot day.

Chanoma is the go-to destination for lovers of matcha and I will always be satisfied with one of their matcha drinks or better yet, their matcha soft serve which never fails to satisfy my green tea cravings. The Japadogs would make for an excellent cheap snack or even a full meal as the serving size is decent and they taste pretty darn good too. It's an extremely popular little cafe so expect to wait around for tables to free up but on the upside, the service is very efficient so don't expect to wait long at all for your order. Head on over to Chanoma now so you can try the shaved ice desserts before they disappear as they're exclusively for summer.

Also, if you're not a member of Washoku Lovers yet, it's a great community to join if you love Japanese food or interested in trying more of it. With the Washoku Lovers membership card one can gain access to a range of discounts and even freebies from numerous Japanese restaurants throughout Sydney. It's free to join: http://www.washokulovers.com/signup/

DT and I dined as guests of Chanoma with special thanks to Yuri from SDMG Marketing for the invitation