FoodieChat

I first came across this italian eatery and delicatessen when we held a function at the Waterside, Homebush Bay, and someone came in with these amazing woodfired pizzas.  Crispy thin base, and with topped with fresh ingredients to savour the base and not piled one inch high like some pizza joints these days.   So on another sunny birthday day off (why do they only come once a year?), we set out to find this pizza again.  It’s actually in a little piazza hidden away between the apartment blocks – I’m sure the locals would like to keep their secret to themselves!  I’m torn – do I shop first, or eat first??  Well stomach won as usual, and we sat ourselves at one of the tables on the street – strangely enough, all enclosed in a plastic awning despite being a gorgeous day.

I had to have a taste of the pizza again – from a plate not a takeaway box, and it did not disappoint.   For lunch, there is only a limited specials menu, and I selected the salamari, olive and chilli pizza ($15).  Just enough for one person – the base was as crispy as I remembered – not merely the vessel for a mountain of topping, but as much as star as the toppings itself – which complemented it, not over powered it, the real way it’s meant to be done.  None of the processed plastic cheese either – real slices of mozarella melted into the fresh tomato base, and scattered with just enough salty salamari and torn olives.   The review on Sydney Morning Herald recommended the calamari fritti ($16) which my friend ordered – and I reluctantly swapped a slice of my pizza to try.  It wasn’t the oily greasy rubber bands that I expected (who am I to disagree with Simon Thomsen!)- but the flash fried, and ever so slightly battered rings were much lighter than most versions, and served with chips and salad.

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Very brave to open a mod Thai eatery on the Italian and cafe dominated strip that is the eating hub of Concord – one of many in the Inner West.  Another understated opening – no advertising, website or flyers in the mail that I could see – but given the regular traffic on this well known street, none was necessary.  Walking through the narrow front door, I was super impressed with the not-too-dimly lit, spacious interior.  Large oversized tables, huge cushion topped timber arm-chairs, generous aisles, and candles with the centrepiece being the three hanging globe chandeliers weaved with fairy lights suspended like sparkling moons across the room. And that’s just the decor. The food is equally impressive – and the value is outstanding for such a trendy well decked out place.

We ordered four entrees – the duck wrap – kinda like a duck san choy bau sort of awkward in cos leaves, but with flavour that just explodes in your mouth, once you realise that it’s cold.  Finely chopped duck meat is mixed with chilli, cucumber, mint, onions and other exquisitely melded flavours. All entrees around around $5.9 – $8.90 which is pretty good value for anywhere.  Tom Yum soup was intense though a bit salty for some, filled with prawns, baby corn, mushrooms and topped with fresh coriander. Did I mention I love the servingware? 

We also tried the prawn cakes (a twist on the usual fish cakes) – chicken and prawn mince shaped into patties and deep fried in breadcrumbs. They were outstanding, and great value – you get four the size of a regular hamburger patty, and not fishy (in a bad way) at all! The chicken meat sweetened the prawns even more.  I didn’t take to the taro puffs as much, square and crimped around the edges. The filling wasn’t tasty enough (maybe because the other things were so much so!).  But the essential money bags were text book perfect – crispy but not oily, filled and tied with a pretty chive, and double layered pastry for extra crunch.

I think we decided at that point that we were totally stuffed because of the entrees, but too late! The mains consist of a three menus: curries, stir fries and noodles.  You pick your meat (chicken, lamb, prawns, tofu/vegetables) and then your desired sauce.  Combination 1 for us: Chilli Jam Prawns. $18.90 for prawns – fresh king prawns sauteed in the thick sweet chilli flavour with just perfect veges of snow peas, capsicum, and garnished dramatically with a long dark fried chilli.  Combination 2: Thai basil sauce rice noodles with chicken ($17.90 for chicken dishes).  A bit too much chicken, but the noodles were al dente and I loved the egg bits in it – all topped with lemon, and deep fried translucent basil leaves.

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The words “all you can eat meat” lights up the eyes of many males (that I know at least).  And how else to eat it – but barbequed.  But not just any barbeque - this is the table top version that Koreans enjoy – hot steaming charcoals with your meat sizzling on a metal plate on top.  But let’s start with the side dishes, including the ever popular potato noodles. Also on offer for yoru $27.80 were pancakes, pickled vegetables, some spring rolls, and of course, that Korean national staple food – kimchi.

The noodles were clear and slippery and not too oily. I’m not a fan of kimchi myself, but there were at least 9 different pickles – of cucumber, tofu, bean shoots.

And now, onto the meat – vegetarian’s worst nightmare (note: go somewhere else to eat if you are!).  The huge selection includes beef tongue, marinated beef, the ever popular bulgogi (marinated pork), chicken wings, plain pork anbd beef, pork ribs, beef ribs.

You just grab what you want, whack it on your hotplate and away you go, munching on the noodles and sides if you can’t wait for it to cook.  It gets a bit smokey and your clothes and hair are likely to smell afterwards – so don’t wear your Sunday best! A really good value feed, and judging by the clientele – authentic too!

There’s some fruit to cleanse your palate at the end and to introduce some vegetable matter to aide digestion. And notice the very helpful sign under the fume hood!  Free parking for 3 hrs at the Mandarin Centre makes this an easy place to get to.

Winter means beef noodle soup time. It’s so warming, healthy and delicious – compared to its fatty friend, laksa.  And the bonus is that it’s cheap – well most of the time, but definitely here at Pho  Noodle House. $8.50 will get you a steaming bowl of chicken or beef noodle soup, with the appropriate mountain of dunk your own condiments – bean sprouts, vietnamese basil, chillis and lemon juice.  The chicken one had more than enough meat – silky noodles, with onion and shallots touching the already deeply satisfyingi soup.   I couldn’t resist trying the summer rolls – $6 for 3 and regretted not sharing them, they were so filling, with prawns, vermicelli, lettuce and pork.  The dipping sauce one of the best – perfectly balancing sweet and savoury elements, and topped with toasted peanuts.

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