Yakitori Yurippi, Crows Nest

Following C's Japan adventure, he's been constantly craving good Japanese food, so when we heard that a new yakitori restaurant was opening on the North Shore, we were keen to check it out.

Yakitori Yurippi has been making yakitori at various markets for some time and has now opened up their own restaurant/bar on Falcon Street in Crows Nest.  There are many Japanese restaurants in Sydney but few specialise in yakitori (and are located close to home).

As you walk into the restaurant, you can tell that the chef and owner, Tin Jung has a deep love for Japan and the restaurant is decorated with various Japanese artworks and posters.  We were also told by Tin Jung that he put together many of the furniture pieces himself - dedication!

The food is delicious and has a real home-made style to it and the atmosphere is chilled and friendly. It's the sort of place you come to with friends only to make more friends with the waiters/waitresses or the people sitting at the tables next to you.

We ordered quite a number of dishes for the two of us, so we'll let the photos do the talking.  In terms of highlights, we'd recommend: the chicken soft bone, tsukune (chicken mince skewer with 63 degree egg), cherry tomato with salt, shiitake mushrooms, chicken tight with shallots and the pork jowl. But to be honest, we enjoyed every dish - the way the skewers are cooked over hot coal creates such a great smokey charcoal flavour that you can't otherwise achieve.

Spinach with sesame dressing

Japanese omelette -
The egg must've been cooked in some intense dashi broth because it had such a deep dashi/bonito flavour to it - very moreish.

Miso sake black cod

Chicken Soft Bone - so crunchy it's like a beer snack!

Tsukune - Japanese chicken meatballs with 63 degree onsen egg - 

This was one of C's favourites for the night - check out that gooey onsen egg!

Wagyu beef

Okra with bonito flakes and ponzu vinegar -
This was a very interesting dish and we have never had okra in this way. The bonito flakes really accentuate the flavour of the okra. 

Chicken wings

Shiitake mushroom with sweet soy

Chicken liver

Gyoza 

Cheese kransky (a pork sausage with cheese inside)

Pork jowl with a ponzu garnish

Pork Belly

Cherry tomato with salt

Chicken thigh with shallots

Being a yakitori restaurant/bar - the dishes are small which makes for great variety. Yurippi allows you to order one skewer per order so if you're coming alone or in a small group, you can still try out a wide variety of dishes.  They also have a good selection of Japanese beers (and apparently whisky is in the pipeline) so it's a great place for a beer and some snacks if you have dinner plans elsewhere.

Tip - if you're coming in a small group, ask to be seated at the counter (apparently a single one ton slab of concrete) when making a booking. You get to see more of the kitchen action plus make friends with the staff.

Unfortunately Yurippi is still in their soft opening phase so the full menu is not on offer yet.  We're definitely keen to re-visit when this happens - the "mochi wrapped in bacon" in particular on their website sounds awesome and we can't wait to go back!

The Butcher's Apprentice, Wahroonga

Growing up in leafy Suburban Sydney, eating out at a local restaurant often meant a quick pad thai, chinese stir-fry noodles or a curry from the local Indian. It was rare to find high quality, creative restaurant options without venturing into the city. Times have changed.  C and I recently visited The Butcher's Apprentice in Wahroonga and were blown away by the delicious and interesting food on offer, casual but modern setting and top notch service.

(Note: The Butcher's Block is actually the 'day time' restaurant - serving breakfast and lunch. The restaurant also serves dinner at the same location but under the name The Butcher's Apprentice. Not really sure why the two names but in case you're wondering - it's the same restaurant!)

I actually first visited with two friends from church for a Friday catch up but after telling C about the candied bacon, he was adamant we had to go back with him and the camera.

Candied Bacon

I'm not as big of a fan of bacon as C, but even I thought this snack was worth re-ordering. Candied with Canadian maple syrup, the taste is very similar to Asian jerky or bak gwa as it is called in Singapore/Malaysia - but with a less chewy texture, more crunch and not as sweet.  

Open kitchen plan

All of the dishes at The Butcher's Apprentice are designed to be shared.  A group of 3-4 is probably ideal to get a diversity of dishes without everyone's portions getting too small.  As our share entree, we picked the Octopus - 2 tentacles sou vide and dressed with fennel, preserved lemon and tomatoes. The octopus was very tender, and had a deep citrus flavour. I personally found the flavour of the octopus could have been more accentuated but overall, a delicious and creative way of serving octopus. 

Octopus - Tentacle, Fennel, Preserved Lemon, Tomato

Next up, C and I ordered 2 mains and a vegetable side.  We picked the Pork Cheek and the Not Corned Beef.  The Pork Cheek was my favourite dish - tender, good depth of flavour and had nice sweet elements (such as the orange blossom floss) to cut through the savoury flavours. This would be perfect on a cold winter night!

Pork Cheek - Five Spice, Rainbow Chards, Watermelon Rind, Orange blossom Floss

Typical C, he could not go pass the Not Corned Beef - sticky smoked short rib and corn 3 ways - on a cob, fried and popped. Again, the beef is tender and breaks apart easily, the smoky barbecue sauce is moreish and caramelised. The charred corn cob cuts through the heaviness of the meat and I wish there was more of it!  Definitely a dish to be shared; we struggled to finish the food and took it home for lunch the next day!

Not Corned Beef - Stick Smoked Short Rib, Rainbow Cards, Watermelon Rind, Corn Cob, Fried Corn, Popcorn

In the spirit of having a balanced diet, we opted for the Caprese as a side.  Actually, we were just tempted by the buffalo mozzarella and curious about the basil jelly.

Caprese - Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil Jelly, Balsamic, Creme Fraiche

It's always nice to see different varieties of tomatoes being served at a restaurant as it's not something I would otherwise buy and use myself. The buffalo mozzarella was delicious - fluffy, light and creamy, I was pleased there was one for each of us and we didn't have to share. Personally I thought the flavour of the basil jelly could have been stronger, but overall, this was a really refreshing, light side that was perfect given the heavy mains we had picked.

For the sake of the blog (and not our waistlines), we had to order a dessert.  We chose the Chocolate which was a chocolate pannacotta base, with crunchy chocolate peals, chocolate floss, white chocolate, chocolate soil and marmalade. This is the go to dish for any chocolate lover and the marmalade give a fresh, citrus edge to the dish to balance out all the chocolatey goodness.

Chocolate - Chocolate Panna Cotta, Chocolate Pearls, Chocolate Floss, Marmalade

If you're in the North and after a local restaurant that's a little more special and a big step up from all the other local options, I highly recommend The Butcher's Apprentice. It's the perfect place to wind down and catch up with friends over a glass of wine. The service is also worth mentioning - friendly, accommodating and attentive but not in your face. When C asked about one of their new wines on the menu, he was offered a taster to help him decide and the waiters were also very enthusiastic to explain the dishes to us.

Can't wait to go back and try their breakfast and lunch menus!

Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest

A few weeks ago, we were invited to visit Tall Lemongrass as part of the restaurant's 5 year anniversary celebrations.  The restaurant is situated on the main strip of Willoughby Road on Crows Nest and serves a combination of modern and traditional Thai dishes.  The Tall Lemongrass has a sister restaurant in Haymarket called The Small Lemongrass.

Overall, we found some dishes to be quite clever in its use of traditional Thai flavours in a modern way but other dishes a little disappointing.

Prawn crackers

As we arrived, prawn crackers were waiting for us at our table.  These were quality and had a strong prawn flavour and very addictive.  Definitely not the same as the prawn crackers you'll find garnishing dishes at Chinese restaurants.

Mieng Khumm

First up, we had the Mieng Khumm which consisted of sweet radish, ground peanuts together with prawns, fresh galangal, lime, ginger and red onions wrapped in an egg net.  The dish came with a side of tamarind sauce which helped to tie the flavours together.  It would have been an even better dish if the egg nets came crispy to add a further texture to the dish. 

Larb Pedt on Witlof

Next we had the Larb Pedt on Witlof - roast duck with crushed toasted rice, mint, coriander and chilli on a leaf of witlof.  This dish combined traditional Thai flavours with a modern twist and creative presentation. The chilli gives it a good kick and the witlof and fresh herbs make the dish refreshing.

Yum Aubergine Stack

Onto the first of our mains, this was by far the highlight of the night and also the signature dish of The Tall Lemongrass.  The Yum Aubergine Stack combines chicken mince with prawns, onions, mint, coriander, chilli sandwiched between 2 layers of deep fried eggplant.  The sauce is morish and there is a generous serving of prawns.  Although deep fried, the eggplant is still soft and juicy on the inside.  We cleaned off this plate without any difficulties. 

In order to give us an opportunity to try out more of their dishes, chef Wendy Khouphongsy thoughtfully prepared 2 smaller portions of their pad thai wrapped in egg net. Unfortunately we found this dish to be a little disappointing, a little lacking in flavour compared to other pad thai we have tried in the past.

Penang Beef Ossa Bucco

Onto the last 2 mains - the first was the Penang Beef Osso Bucco (above) and the second was the Crispy Pork with Caramel Dressing. (below)  The Penang Beef curry was very flavoursome and had a good balance of sweet and spicy.  Definitely the sort of curry you would finish up with a side of rice.  The pork belly was also a great hit - the skin was crispy and the meat itself tender and not overcooked although K found it a little on the sweet side.

Crispy Pork with Caramel Dressing

The decor is a combination of modern and traditional Thai elements and the service is warm and attentive.  Throughout the night, we saw many people come for takeaway meals so clearly this place is a hit with the locals.

C + K dined as guests of The Tall Lemongrass and Missy Mischief PR.

Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood

If you are a Sydney-sider (and especially if you live on the North Shore), you would've heard of Chatswood's newest yum cha restaurant - Tim Ho Wan.

Famed as the "world's cheapest Michelin-star restaurant", Tim Ho Wan first started in Mong Kok, Hong Kong and now has several stores in Hong Kong and has extended to other countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and now: Sydney and coming soon to Melbourne.  We should point out though that not all Tim Ho Wan branded restaurants are Michelin-starred and that the actual Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan's are the North Point, Sham Sui Po and Tai Kwok Tsui branches in Hong Kong.

We first tried Tim Ho Wan a few years ago during our visit to Hong Kong.  We must admit - comparing it to the myriad of yum cha choices in Hong Kong, we weren't particularly blown away. But when something of this quality lands in Chatswood where there aren't really any decent yum cha choices - the outcome is a little different.

So does this international brand really live up to all the hype and anticipation? 

Our verdict: some of the dishes are definitely a notch up from usual yum cha joints, but others seem not very different.  So instead of reviewing every dish, we thought we'd identify the ones we thought are definitely better than other yum cha places and which you should try if you're going to line up 1 hour+ for a seat.   

Here goes out list...

1. The BBQ pork buns: This is a no-brainer.  The sweet, crusty and buttery outside with generous saucy BBQ pork on the inside is the star of the restaurant. Can't come to Tim Ho Wan and not try these!  Don't recommend taking these away though - they're best eaten hot!

Signature dish: BBQ pork buns

That gooey inside...can't resist!

2. Chicken feet with abalone sauce: Before you grimace and look away here us out - the soft, gelatinous flesh is well marinated by the abalone sauce.  I don't know how much abalone is actually used in this dish but the marinade is different to the typical soy sauce sticky sauce you see at other yum cha joints.  The bean curd on the bottom of the dish soaks up the sauce and makes for a nice satisfying finish to the dish.  Set aside your preconceptions and give chicken feet a shot!

Chicken feet with abalone sauce

 3. Steamed egg cake: This soft, airy cake is best eaten warm.  It's not too sweet and we think it's definitely lighter and airier than other steamed egg cakes you can get at yum cha.

Steamed egg cake

 4. Glutinous rice in lotus leaf: Ordinarily, this is served at yum cha as three little lotus leaf parcels.  At Tim Ho Wan, it's served as one big portion for sharing (much more in the spirit of yum cha). The filling is generous, with a combination of fatty pork, lap cheong (think, Chinese chorizo) and Chinese mushrooms.  The rice is aromatic and not too gluggy.  We think this is definitely one notch up from usual yum cha joints in Sydney where the filling is often sparse and does not look particularly appetising and resembles off-cuts or leftovers roughly placed amongst the rice.

Glutinous rice in lotus leaf

5. Pork ribs with black bean sauce: Last on our list of must tries is the pork ribs with black bean sauce.  Again, this is often a dish that looks roughly put together at yum cha and the pork often overcooked.  Here at Tim Ho Wan, we found that the flavour balances are much more refined, the pork not overcooked and still tender and it's not swimming in a pool of fat/steaming water.  Flavour wise, it's familiar but done better. The only down side is that portion wise, it's a bit small. 

Here are the rest of the dishes are tried on our first visit.  None of these were bad and in fact, we found everything was generally well executed, fresh and not overly oily and salty.  The above 5 are just what we found to be the notable stand outs and better than what you would otherwise find at most yum cha restaurants in Sydney.

This pork dumpling with prawns almost made the cut of top 5.  The pork and prawns fresh with a good texture and not overcooked.

Pork dumplings with prawns

Prawn dumplings 

C really enjoyed the Cheung Fan - vermicelli rolls with stuffing and thinks they should be included in the top 5.

Vermicelli Roll with BBQ Pork

Vermicelli roll with BBQ pork and Vermicelli roll with prawns

Beancurd skin roll with shrimp

Overall, our verdict is that Tim Ho Wan is one of the best yum cha restaurants you can find on the North Shore.  It may not have as much variety but the dishes are more refined and well balanced than other yum cha restaurants.   

Unsurprisingly (and partly because of the size of the actual restaurant), lines seem to have been consistently long over the past week or so since its opening.  K has been twice and both times, the wait was about 50 mins - 1 hour long (starting at the bottom of the stairs into The District).  You'd easily wait that long for yum cha on a weekend, but when the wait gets to about 2 hours or more, query whether it's really worth the effort.  You're better off coming at 9:30am to wait for their 10am start!  

PS: We drove past this morning and it's the longest we've seen it stretching all the way to the Chatswood RSL club - couldn't resist taking a quick snap!

The line keeps going up the stairs!