Mmmmmmm, 2nd visit to Chogajip in 2 weeks and I like it better and better each time I go. For the uninitiated, Chogajip is a quiet little Korean restaurant on Essex St, next door to the belly dancing restaurant! The food is full of flavor and light, yet very filling.
This time we started with the dumplings, small parcels of meat and vegetables with a soy dipping sauce, and the mixed vegetables seafood pancake. Now this is not like a western style pancake - it consisted of a flat layer of chopped greens and small pieces of seafood lightly bound together by a small amount of batter, then fried. Very tasty!
For mains we chose two stir fried dishes - marinated beef and spicy squid. The marinated beef was to die for, bursting with flavor that was almost sweet. Now be warned.. When they say spicy squid (or spicy chicken) they DO mean spicy. These dishes are not for the faint hearted! Over the years I have developed a taste for the more spicy foods, and I found this just at my limit of "enjoyable". It left a pleasant tingle on the lips that lingered for quite a while and needless to say was a very intensely flavored dish.
What they don't state on the menu is that the stir fry dishes come automatically with a small bowl of steamed rice plus three standard accompaniments. There is a marinated cabbage (try as I might, I just cannot enjoy this one - it tastes like cold sea water to me), small cubes of potato in a mild sweetish sauce and bean sprouts with spices (not hot). The potato is particularly good at offsetting the spicy dishes.
The restaurant is licenced with a small but acceptable wine list, but they are also boy with corkage at about $5 per bottle. Our meal, with corckage, came to $61, a very affordable night out. The staff are also very friendly and attentive, without having to hang around and be annoying.
The only disappointing thing about this restaurant is that there aren't more customers on a regular basis. Friday night saw the owner giving away taste samples outside which worked very well to entice diners inside for a table. It's a pity that on other nights more people don't venture in, it would be a shame if this little gem suffered through lack of customers.
Well its top marks from me Chogajip!!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fidel's for Sunday breakfast
Sunday morning sleepin and breakfast at Fidel's, what a pleasant way to start the day. Fidel's has a choice of seating areas (courtyard, inside or street front) and we found ourselves people- watching in the footpath today. Which was quite nice as it was a pleasant morning with the sun shining and a little bit of breeze.
This place is nice and relaxing, quite laid back, and the food & coffee are good. Sunday mornings are clearly some of their more popular times, so if you are in a hurry then this isn't the place for you.
We arrived at the perfect brunch time and consequently ordered one breakfast and one lunch dish! The breezy was good, perfectly made to the author's detailed request(s) with eggs poached just firm enough for my liking, large grilled mushrooms and plenty of wilted spinach & avocado. With a slice of wholemeal toast it Hit the spot perfectly. My companion's lunch dish was a flavoursome spicy chicken Turkish bread, toasted, with salad & a pot of home made hommus. Also hit the spot, and that hommus was the best I've ever tasted. I might have to go back just to sweet talk Fidel into giving me the recipe for that one.
A little bit of a wait for the coffees, but worth it for the relaxed, good quality meal. Thank goodness we weren't still waiting when the weather changed back to winter just before lunch time!
This place is nice and relaxing, quite laid back, and the food & coffee are good. Sunday mornings are clearly some of their more popular times, so if you are in a hurry then this isn't the place for you.
We arrived at the perfect brunch time and consequently ordered one breakfast and one lunch dish! The breezy was good, perfectly made to the author's detailed request(s) with eggs poached just firm enough for my liking, large grilled mushrooms and plenty of wilted spinach & avocado. With a slice of wholemeal toast it Hit the spot perfectly. My companion's lunch dish was a flavoursome spicy chicken Turkish bread, toasted, with salad & a pot of home made hommus. Also hit the spot, and that hommus was the best I've ever tasted. I might have to go back just to sweet talk Fidel into giving me the recipe for that one.
A little bit of a wait for the coffees, but worth it for the relaxed, good quality meal. Thank goodness we weren't still waiting when the weather changed back to winter just before lunch time!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Entertainment from the balcony
Now inner city living is always going to be different from living out in the 'burbs the way we used to. Our modest balcony overlooking the street has provided for some entertaining moments along the way, such as car hit & runs, police chasing suspects, and even the bomb squad recently, but today brought the best entertainment yet: a woman executing a complete change of outfit in the car park!
So what, you may think? Well I was impressed by the way she managed all of this without giving away any dignity, or in other words without revealing any bare flesh or other things we shouldn't see. She came back to the car with her partner dressed in a long dark skirt & top, flat shoes & dark handbag, and hey presto before our very eyes she walked away in a white strapless dress, high heels & silver handbag.
First, she slipped the white dress over the entire dark outfit, then discreetly took off the dark skirt from underneath. Weren't sure but she may have removed her underwear at this time too. Next, shoes were changed, a slip slipped on underneath the skirt, followed by some maneuvering (half inside the door of the car for this one) which got the dark strappy top out of the way. Grab the new handbag out of the car and she was done. Pull up the strapless dress to make sure all is covered and it was all over red rover in little more than a blink of an eye!
As for the partner? Well apart from just waiting and watching, all he did was throw on a tie. A slap on the bum for her job well done and away they trotted to their evening function. He could have at least tucked his shirt in!
So what, you may think? Well I was impressed by the way she managed all of this without giving away any dignity, or in other words without revealing any bare flesh or other things we shouldn't see. She came back to the car with her partner dressed in a long dark skirt & top, flat shoes & dark handbag, and hey presto before our very eyes she walked away in a white strapless dress, high heels & silver handbag.
First, she slipped the white dress over the entire dark outfit, then discreetly took off the dark skirt from underneath. Weren't sure but she may have removed her underwear at this time too. Next, shoes were changed, a slip slipped on underneath the skirt, followed by some maneuvering (half inside the door of the car for this one) which got the dark strappy top out of the way. Grab the new handbag out of the car and she was done. Pull up the strapless dress to make sure all is covered and it was all over red rover in little more than a blink of an eye!
As for the partner? Well apart from just waiting and watching, all he did was throw on a tie. A slap on the bum for her job well done and away they trotted to their evening function. He could have at least tucked his shirt in!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday lunch by the water - and the Little Creatures are running wild!
Mmmmm, what better way to spend a hot, sunny Friday afternoon than having an outdoor lunch by the water? Little Creatures was our venue of choice today, and the back deck was definitely the place in demand.
For those who haven't ventured all the way out the back at Little Creatures, there is a delightful deck area, complete with bar and "kid zone" (aka sand pit) right on the harbour overlooking the blue blue water and the gleaming white boats. Well, there was one particularly gleaming type of boat that a very rich type of person would park there, plus the parked fishing vessels across the harbour and the odd couple of motor boats moored just outside our deck.
Patience is the name of the game if you are after a nice shady table, and with the West Australian sun glaring down (albeit on a "moderate" 30 degree day) you do need some shade. We managed to squeeze in on the end of one table that had a slither of shade. Knowing that the sun was favouring us and would soon be behind next-door's umbrella, we made do with that. I saw at least two other groups of people that waited up to half an hour to get their prized table in the shade. If that wasn't enough for one group, after another half hour or so, they moved again to another table that (obviously) had just the right combination of shade and dappled sun under the olive tree. Some people are never satisfied!
So we whiled away the afternoon planning our next batch of holidays (I fear this might also turn into a travel blog before too long), enjoying the sunshine and the nice cold drinks. As far as food goes, Little Creatures change their menu every few months or so, but it is the same basic choice of some tapas-style dishes meant for sharing or combining, plus a few full sized meals. Beware the tapas-style dishes though. It has been my experience (at least around Freo & Perth) that this is basically a way for the restaurant to make a lot more money. For example, if we decided to have some corn cobs (VERY yummy, grilled nicely and served with salted butter) and a salad, this would set us back $24 before even looking at anything more substantial. OK, if you are vegetarian, or just so inclined for the day, this would probably be enough for many people, but hey, I know I can get a basic grilled vegetable dish for well under $20 in many other venues. And this is just a pub after all.
But no mind, we decided to share a pizza (very tasty mediterranean lamb & feta) and a vege nachos, which is quite large and comes complete with jalapeno chillies, quacamole and sour cream. One thing you have to watch out for at Little Creatures is that the food comes when it is ready - not when the customer is ready. We have struck this before when having dinner there, so it is obviously one of their policies: the order goes in and the food comes out. You can't choose what order you want it in, unless you wait and order the next lot afterwards, and even then they may happen to come together. If we had been having one dish each, not sharing the two, one of us would have been very very hungry today. We managed to polish of the nachos (stopping short of licking the plate) and the waitress was even going to clear the table before she realised our pizza hadn't arrived. That was fine for us, as we kept grazing, but be aware that this can happen any time when you eat at Little Creatures!
When they do stuff up, the staff are very nice and happily fix things up, even throwing in something for free occasionally, but this sort of thing is too common to be considered the "exception" at this pub. It's a great casual venue, you can be comfortable there at any age, any type of dress, etc, but you will be paying "premium pub" prices for food & drinks thanks to their location. Still... the setting speaks for itself, and judging by the amount of partrons jostling for that ideal table with just the right amount of shade, people are willing to put up with the basic menu and service.
I did forget to mention their beer - quite nice indeed. This is a brewery pub, you can have a good look at the big BIG vats & see where they make the beer. You can sometimes even see a truck parked right next to the front door being loaded up with some kind of gungy stuff that they have to remove after making all that beer, all of which makes for an interesting place and definitely something for tourists to have a look at. They have the gift shop at the ready, and there are a number of little nooks & crannies, not to mention 3 or 4 different areas to sit & drink or eat, each with a distinctly different feel. It must be about time to check out the Loft Bar again since I haven't been there for quite a few months, so look out for my coming post on that. It was superb in winter (especially with my special mate Squid singing & guitar-ing away in the corner)... I'll be back!
Beware of school holidays though - the little creatures running wild (aka playing cricket) in that sandpit today hit a six into neighbouring tables more than once, much to their delight - not!
For those who haven't ventured all the way out the back at Little Creatures, there is a delightful deck area, complete with bar and "kid zone" (aka sand pit) right on the harbour overlooking the blue blue water and the gleaming white boats. Well, there was one particularly gleaming type of boat that a very rich type of person would park there, plus the parked fishing vessels across the harbour and the odd couple of motor boats moored just outside our deck.
Patience is the name of the game if you are after a nice shady table, and with the West Australian sun glaring down (albeit on a "moderate" 30 degree day) you do need some shade. We managed to squeeze in on the end of one table that had a slither of shade. Knowing that the sun was favouring us and would soon be behind next-door's umbrella, we made do with that. I saw at least two other groups of people that waited up to half an hour to get their prized table in the shade. If that wasn't enough for one group, after another half hour or so, they moved again to another table that (obviously) had just the right combination of shade and dappled sun under the olive tree. Some people are never satisfied!
So we whiled away the afternoon planning our next batch of holidays (I fear this might also turn into a travel blog before too long), enjoying the sunshine and the nice cold drinks. As far as food goes, Little Creatures change their menu every few months or so, but it is the same basic choice of some tapas-style dishes meant for sharing or combining, plus a few full sized meals. Beware the tapas-style dishes though. It has been my experience (at least around Freo & Perth) that this is basically a way for the restaurant to make a lot more money. For example, if we decided to have some corn cobs (VERY yummy, grilled nicely and served with salted butter) and a salad, this would set us back $24 before even looking at anything more substantial. OK, if you are vegetarian, or just so inclined for the day, this would probably be enough for many people, but hey, I know I can get a basic grilled vegetable dish for well under $20 in many other venues. And this is just a pub after all.
But no mind, we decided to share a pizza (very tasty mediterranean lamb & feta) and a vege nachos, which is quite large and comes complete with jalapeno chillies, quacamole and sour cream. One thing you have to watch out for at Little Creatures is that the food comes when it is ready - not when the customer is ready. We have struck this before when having dinner there, so it is obviously one of their policies: the order goes in and the food comes out. You can't choose what order you want it in, unless you wait and order the next lot afterwards, and even then they may happen to come together. If we had been having one dish each, not sharing the two, one of us would have been very very hungry today. We managed to polish of the nachos (stopping short of licking the plate) and the waitress was even going to clear the table before she realised our pizza hadn't arrived. That was fine for us, as we kept grazing, but be aware that this can happen any time when you eat at Little Creatures!
When they do stuff up, the staff are very nice and happily fix things up, even throwing in something for free occasionally, but this sort of thing is too common to be considered the "exception" at this pub. It's a great casual venue, you can be comfortable there at any age, any type of dress, etc, but you will be paying "premium pub" prices for food & drinks thanks to their location. Still... the setting speaks for itself, and judging by the amount of partrons jostling for that ideal table with just the right amount of shade, people are willing to put up with the basic menu and service.
I did forget to mention their beer - quite nice indeed. This is a brewery pub, you can have a good look at the big BIG vats & see where they make the beer. You can sometimes even see a truck parked right next to the front door being loaded up with some kind of gungy stuff that they have to remove after making all that beer, all of which makes for an interesting place and definitely something for tourists to have a look at. They have the gift shop at the ready, and there are a number of little nooks & crannies, not to mention 3 or 4 different areas to sit & drink or eat, each with a distinctly different feel. It must be about time to check out the Loft Bar again since I haven't been there for quite a few months, so look out for my coming post on that. It was superb in winter (especially with my special mate Squid singing & guitar-ing away in the corner)... I'll be back!
Beware of school holidays though - the little creatures running wild (aka playing cricket) in that sandpit today hit a six into neighbouring tables more than once, much to their delight - not!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Leeuwin Estate wine dinner @ The Red Herring
Wednesday night found us at the Red Herring for a delicious dinner accompanied by a selection of Leeuwin Estate Wines, thanks to those fabulous people at the Entertainment Book. What a great invention that is!
The Red Herring has a gorgeous atmosphere, set right down over the water on the Swan River, the lighting is warm & soft and with big windows all along 3 sides of the restaurant, there are views from everywhere. Our dinner started off with a glass of the sparkling Leeuwin Estate Brut, accompanied by a selection of seafoods for our appetizer. The tempura Coffin Bay oysters were superb, as was the wine, but the surprise standout here was a delectable seaweed salad.
We were then treated with a selection of dishes, including a very tasty pork belly, red emperor, duck, all with various side treats, and finishing off with a lemon cheesecake. Most of the wines were from Leeuwin Estate's Art Series range, but the one we decided was the best on the night was actually their Prelude Chardonnay, a light soft wine with the typical Margaret River chardonnay flavours (think buttery & toasty) that was not overpowering. The restaurant service was good, friendly at all times, but there were a few lags between delivering the matching wine and food course to the table. All in all a good night and we will be recommending The Red Herring to a group of discerning diners that we meet up with several times a year.
Taxi drivers are another thing though. The fare on the way back was almost 50% more than the fare on the way out. Even allowing for the driver going the long long way through town, we couldn't understand why the meter suddenly jumped up a few dollars as we went around the last corner. Come on taxi drivers of Perth, lift your game. Some of us do happen to know the shortest route and how much it should cost!
The Red Herring has a gorgeous atmosphere, set right down over the water on the Swan River, the lighting is warm & soft and with big windows all along 3 sides of the restaurant, there are views from everywhere. Our dinner started off with a glass of the sparkling Leeuwin Estate Brut, accompanied by a selection of seafoods for our appetizer. The tempura Coffin Bay oysters were superb, as was the wine, but the surprise standout here was a delectable seaweed salad.
We were then treated with a selection of dishes, including a very tasty pork belly, red emperor, duck, all with various side treats, and finishing off with a lemon cheesecake. Most of the wines were from Leeuwin Estate's Art Series range, but the one we decided was the best on the night was actually their Prelude Chardonnay, a light soft wine with the typical Margaret River chardonnay flavours (think buttery & toasty) that was not overpowering. The restaurant service was good, friendly at all times, but there were a few lags between delivering the matching wine and food course to the table. All in all a good night and we will be recommending The Red Herring to a group of discerning diners that we meet up with several times a year.
Taxi drivers are another thing though. The fare on the way back was almost 50% more than the fare on the way out. Even allowing for the driver going the long long way through town, we couldn't understand why the meter suddenly jumped up a few dollars as we went around the last corner. Come on taxi drivers of Perth, lift your game. Some of us do happen to know the shortest route and how much it should cost!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday Trivia @ Rosies
Tuesday night found us trying out the trivia night at Rosie O'Gradys. Off we trotted for a 7pm start, which of course means that we planned to eat while we were there, cheap and cheerful, no problem! We were a group of four this time, two couples with quite different tastes.
The guys both ordered the porterhouse steak and were well pleased with their choice. Very tender and tasty, well cooked and quite large, proving good value. One of the girls chose the chicken parmigiana and the other had a vegetarian option, grilled vege stack on fried cornbread. All in all quite nice, the chicken was tasty and large, and the vege stack was also very flavoursome. The cornbread was a little on the dry side and basically turned to breadcrumbs upon cutting, but it was not offensive and being a vegetarian meal it was the cheapest at under $15. The wine list was as you would expect in a pub, just ok. The Tuesday night specials turned out to be one choice of pasta and one choice of pizza ($15 with a pint of beer thrown in) but none of our group were interested in those choices. The Thai flavoured pizza on the main menu sounded very intriguing, possibly something I may need to go back for.
As for the trivia night, this turned out to be organised by a charming New Yorker, which provided some entertaining moments as we gently disputed some of the final answers. Oh well, our table was never in the running to win one of the three cash prizes handed out at the end of the night, so we looked on it as pure entertainment, if not something of a learning experience. Who knew that the very strange looking implement in that picture was actually a sling shot and not the sex toy we predicted it to be!
It is a good concept for what would otherwise be a very quiet weeknight, but Rosie's could do with a few more patrons willing to come out and give it a go. We suspect that might happen as the weather gets warmer, but nevertheless there were enough people this week to make for a couple of hours of entertainment. The night kicks off at 7pm, you simply think up a name for your table, choose your "double points" rounds, and then go for it. Be warned though folks, you may be up against some stiff competition! The whole event is over by 9pm so it isn't a late night for those unfortunate enough to have to get up for work in the morning.
I think I'll give this one another go.
The guys both ordered the porterhouse steak and were well pleased with their choice. Very tender and tasty, well cooked and quite large, proving good value. One of the girls chose the chicken parmigiana and the other had a vegetarian option, grilled vege stack on fried cornbread. All in all quite nice, the chicken was tasty and large, and the vege stack was also very flavoursome. The cornbread was a little on the dry side and basically turned to breadcrumbs upon cutting, but it was not offensive and being a vegetarian meal it was the cheapest at under $15. The wine list was as you would expect in a pub, just ok. The Tuesday night specials turned out to be one choice of pasta and one choice of pizza ($15 with a pint of beer thrown in) but none of our group were interested in those choices. The Thai flavoured pizza on the main menu sounded very intriguing, possibly something I may need to go back for.
As for the trivia night, this turned out to be organised by a charming New Yorker, which provided some entertaining moments as we gently disputed some of the final answers. Oh well, our table was never in the running to win one of the three cash prizes handed out at the end of the night, so we looked on it as pure entertainment, if not something of a learning experience. Who knew that the very strange looking implement in that picture was actually a sling shot and not the sex toy we predicted it to be!
It is a good concept for what would otherwise be a very quiet weeknight, but Rosie's could do with a few more patrons willing to come out and give it a go. We suspect that might happen as the weather gets warmer, but nevertheless there were enough people this week to make for a couple of hours of entertainment. The night kicks off at 7pm, you simply think up a name for your table, choose your "double points" rounds, and then go for it. Be warned though folks, you may be up against some stiff competition! The whole event is over by 9pm so it isn't a late night for those unfortunate enough to have to get up for work in the morning.
I think I'll give this one another go.
Thumbs up Portorosa
It was Portorosa to the rescue after our departure from Sandrinos, and they did the job admirably. The restaurant underwent some renovations and was briefly closed a few months ago, but we weren't really able to pick what had been done inside.
Walking in we were greeted with a smile and asked if we would like to sit in or out. Choosing inside, we were asked if our table was to our liking and the staff were very friendly. There were just the two of us, and this was in fact the second time we had come to Portorosa after declining to partake in the less than warm service next door.
The wine list, while not extensive, contained some good choices and there was plenty of variety on the menu. We chose a pizza to share for entree, followed by grilled seafood, again to share. The seafood dish was quite large and was enough to fill us both. The service continued to be very good throughout the evening, the staff were attentive without being intrusive. The restaurant also offers BYO allowing for a cheaper night out. Altogether it was good value for money if you are looking for a casual and friendly place to eat, with enough menu choices to suit most people. We will definitely return again.
Walking in we were greeted with a smile and asked if we would like to sit in or out. Choosing inside, we were asked if our table was to our liking and the staff were very friendly. There were just the two of us, and this was in fact the second time we had come to Portorosa after declining to partake in the less than warm service next door.
The wine list, while not extensive, contained some good choices and there was plenty of variety on the menu. We chose a pizza to share for entree, followed by grilled seafood, again to share. The seafood dish was quite large and was enough to fill us both. The service continued to be very good throughout the evening, the staff were attentive without being intrusive. The restaurant also offers BYO allowing for a cheaper night out. Altogether it was good value for money if you are looking for a casual and friendly place to eat, with enough menu choices to suit most people. We will definitely return again.
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