Presse Cafe Review

Hello everyone! This will be our final review for InRetroSpecs. Watch it here.
We hope you had fun.

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A coffee bar with more to offer

When it come to coffee, most places are fairly unremarkable. More often than not, your local shop serves as good as any. There are of course, exceptions. Kent St Specialty Coffee is a small coffee bar, located on Kent St (surprise, surprise!) not a stone's throw away from the QVB. KSSC sets itself aside not with its coffee, but by everything else it provides. With a large selection of food and drinks, live music and atmosphere, KSSC is certainly worth paying a visit.

1/414 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 8005 4480

Your Great Uncle Ming

Are you a whisky lover? Enjoy atmospheric venues with friendly staff? Then this next number is the one for you. Uncle Ming's is a small bar, hidden away in York St, close to Wynard Station. It offers very fine Japanese Whiskey, along with plenty of exotic and wonderful side dishes. The staff are always friendly, with an all-round pleasant experience.
Uncle Ming's is a guaranteed delight, for when you feel like a quiet night out. Highly recommended.

Uncle Ming's
55 York Street,
Sydney, NSW 2000

Drummoyne sailing club: Where tranquility comes in with the tide

The title "Sailing Club" on its own adds a certain level of prestige to an establishment. The venue resembles greatly many bowling clubs around Australia, until you step out onto the expansive waterfront balcony.

I took great notice on entry of the sign; "$3 schooners on NRL nights" which it happened to be, so I ordered one of course. It was everything you'd expect out of a cold beer on tap for just 3 bucks.

When we ordered the food, I opted for the largest most expensive single item on the menu; the 500g T-bone steak. Regarding this choice, $33 closer to bankruptcy, I have no regrets.

I asked for medium rare and I received a lovely chunk of meat seared dark on the outside with a delectable shade of pink on the inside. The serving of chips was scaled up sufficiently to the steak and there was a dash of salad on the side to round out the appearance of a balanced meal.

Overall I left satisfied, having had just enough beer to make the meal reasonably priced factoring in the usual  cost of drinks. Guests can enter without a member for free and enjoy a nice meal and a few drinks on the waterfront here.

This is a fair way into the meal, beer not pictured

Drummoyne Sailing Club

2 St Georges Crescent

Drummoyne NSW 2047

+61 2 9719 8199

Mr Crackles

With promises of some of the best crackling in Sydney, I was taken by a friend to check out Mr Crackles on Oxford Street. As a big fan of pork (mainly bacon) aswell as raving reviews from said friend, I had high expectations as we walked into this brightly lit restaurant. The sweet smell of slow cooked meats instantly made my mouth water as I gazed over the vast menu helpless in deciding a single item.

Roast Pork and Crackling sandwich

Pulled Pork sandwich

155 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney NSW

Samurai: Great Sushi in Balmain!

                                                                   Samurai                                                                      

We felt like Sushi tonight and thought we'd check out an old favourite that hasn't been visited in years. Samurai at Balmain has a very unique take on Japanese food. It combines modern and traditional Japanese flavours together in a really refreshing way. The restaurant is conveniently located on Darling St which is in the heart of Balmain.

We started with a classic favourite for entree, the Whiting Tempura, which came out piping hot and with lots of extra sea salt for extra seasoning. Also for entree we shared a plate of Crispy Salmon Sushi which hit the spot perfectly! Deciding on a main was probably the greatest challenge of the evening but I decided to go with the Samurai Dinner Box so I didn't miss out on anything and also a side of Scampi Sashimi - I can never resist Scampi on any menu!

It was great to get back to Balmain for some great Sushi and won't leave it  as long next time!


Samurai
493A Darling St
Balmain 2041
p: (02) 9810 1426

                                                                            

Harpoon Harry's: A great place for Latin American!

                                                                  Harpoon Harry's                                                                   


A friend told us about a new Latin American place called Harpoon Harry's and we thought we should check it out for lunch today. Conveniently located on Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills, Harry's is actually a boutique hotel with a bar and restaurant underneath.

It was very hard to decide what to eat because everything looks so delicious so we decided to get a few different things and share the lot! We got their mouth watering Jerk Chicken which was done in a very traditional way, we also tried the Harry's Burger which was absolutely huge and also got a range of their soft shell tacos which stole the show - definitely the pick of the bunch!

Harpoon Harry's

40/44 Wentworth Ave

Surry Hills 2010

p: (02) 8262 8800

Pho Gia Hoi

An awesome place for a quick and cheap meal, Pho Gia Hoi is located on the boulevard of Eastwood. With Sydney weather heating up past 30 degrees over the weekend this cosy and at times rowdy restaurant had exactly what I needed to help cool down from the heat. Their main attraction is the beef noodle soup (Pho Tai) that is the symbol of Vietnamese food, however fearing the hot broth on such a warm spring day I turned instead towards the cold vermicelli noodles. A mix of clear vermicelli noodles, chopped lettuce, grilled meats and dressed with a sweet chilli dressing, this dish is hard to beat for both its flavor and price.

Though the service may be lacking at times, the price aswell as the quality of the food makes up for more than enough, this place is a must visit for those in search of quality Vietnamese dishes.

Pho Gia Hoi
02 8084 2588
219 Rowe Street, Eastwood, Sydney

Mama's Boui: Best Vietnamese in Surry Hills

                                                              Mama’s Buoi                                                          

We recently travelled to Surry Hills to check out Mama’s Buoi which is a slightly upmarket Vietnamese restaurant. As soon as we entered the venue we were greeted by their friendly staff and felt very welcome, lavishing in the trendy Surry Hills vibe.

Mama’s Buoi serves traditional Vietnamese dishes but they also serve a range of original dishes that have their own unique twist to them. We tried lots of different things including their pho and smokey eggplant stirfry but the highlight for us was definitely the pork crackling vermicelli salad – absolutely moreish!

Mama's Buoi 
116 Devonshire St
Surry Hills 2010
p: (02) 9281 9993

Yum Cha at Sydney Fish Markets

 

                                                           Fisherman's Wharf                                                                 

I had never been to the fish markets for lunch before so I decided to drive down and check out the options. After parking, I walked down to the building and started making my way through all the crowds of people, searching for an available place to eat. It was so busy that I couldn't get a seat at any of the places  but then I saw I sign for the Fisherman's Wharf Restaura pointing upstairs. I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised that it was a busy yum cha place!

I was sat promptly and quickly started tucking into fresh prawn dumplings and Chinese broccoli. The place had a great atmosphere with lots of different selections of Chinese cuisine. The stand out dish for me was the roast pork with crackling and duck pancakes. I will definitely be heading back to the Fisherman's Wharf soon!

The Fisherman's Wharf 

79/97-101 Pyrmont Bridge Rd
Pyrmont 2009

p: (02) 9660 9888

Pub food: convenience versus quality

I was at the commercial hotel in Parramatta with friends last night. We went with the intention of drinking together and being rowdy, as is the usual. We quickly realised we were all hungry, and this place had a fully functioning kitchen with a moderately extensive menu. I ordered a chicken schnitzel, as I usually do at a pub, which was about $16.

While not unappetising, its diminutive size instantly put doubt in my mind. The salad was bland, but that's a given. I can't fault them for having normal salad.
The chips came in a decent portion, and were of roughly McDonald's quality, take that as you will.
The schnitzel, the centrepiece of the meal was not lacking in taste, and of that I was appreciative. It was however, roughly the size of an iPhone 6+. Needless to say, I ordered another one and for the total price of a nice restaurant meal; had roughly one satisfying schnitzel.
Which in retrospect may have been a financial mistake.
When you're enjoying beers with friends though, that kind of apprehension can slip your mind.

Overall, the food was acceptable, while overpriced. Their objective is to sell me as much as they could, and in that regard, they did well.

Commercial Hotel

2 Hassall St, Parramatta

New South Wales 2150

p: (02) 9635 8342

Brazilian Barbecues, for those who can't decide what to eat.

When it comes to food, it is no secret that I enjoy my fair share of meat. While not particularly fussy, I find very difficult to pass up a Brazilian restaurant. Casa Brasil is a small Brazilian barbecue, located within the heart of Petersham. Specialising in rotisseries, they serve a very large selection of meats, all for you to try for a single price. Those who are unfamiliar to the concept may find the whole experience confusing to begin with. Much like a buffet, a cart with side dishes are available for you to have with your meal, while large skewers of various meats are circled around by the waiters. All the foods they serve are very difficult to pass up, while the place itself provides a very homely feeling. If you want to eat something, but you don't know what; Casa Brasil is the place to be.

77 New Canterbuy Road

Petersham NSW 2049

Tel: (02) 9560 9595

Website

Rainy start to the weekend, perfect time for some hot and spicy Korean food

With Sydney weather taking a turn for the wet side and after waking up with a debilitating hangover, I decided that some hot soup and rice would be fitting to nurse all the worlds pains away. This brought me to one of my local favourites, Jonga Jip located in the Sydney suburb of Eastwood. This Korean restaurant is famous for it's authenticity and it's busy crowd filled with local Korean residents shows how their food is hard to miss for any locals looking to get a authentic taste of home style cooking.
Busy and packed right in any night of the week this restaurant is known for its many side-dishes that accompany any order of food. With great quality meats, divine noodles and hand-made dumplings this is surely a eating experience not to be missed!

You can find this restaurant here:
Jonga Jip
87 Rowe St, Eastwood NSW 2122
Ph: 9858 5160

Hello! and welcome to our blog InRetroSpecs.
We are a group of Macquarie University students here to provide you with food and dining reviews from all around Sydney.
Here is a little abit about ourselves.

Name: Sung
Age: 23
Hobbies: Playing basketball and going to the movies
Favourite foods: Pizza, sushi and Korean BBQ
Where I want to travel in the world: Myanmar

Name: Kevin
Age: 19
Hobbies: Composing music, gaming, hanging out with friends
Favourite Music: Chiptune, Chillout, Eurobeat
Favourite Foods: Brazilian BBQ

Name: Myles
Age: 28
Hobbies: Playing poker, fantasy football and Golf
Favourite foods: Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese
Where you want to travel in the world: Japan
Favourite Music: Hip hop, Post dub, Experimental

Name: Lewis
Age: 19
Hobbies: Eating, dirt bikes, basketball
Favourite foods: Burgers, steaks, schnitzels
Where I want to travel around the world: All around the world!

Stay tuned for weekly updates!