Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Go Hard or Go Home #2

The 2010 Good Food Guide is out. China Doll is not in it; again! Apparently the manager and some senior wait staff had a fallout with the editors - how funny.

In my last place post I said I would give my thoughts on CoChin @ Surry Hills. First, visit their website and read the reviews.

Now, I must say this to all restaurants out there: don't advertise what is not there. I was looking for the 'signature' slow cooked red duck in brandy tofu and cucumber, but was presented with 'tea smoked duck breast' (after being forced to order it when I really wanted the braised duck with orange), and the 'ground breaking' desserts, was a brulee. Milk. Without the vanilla bean dots.

Tea smoked duck with orange, prune port sauce

Can't go wrong with deep fried quails

Lamb that tastes exactly like the marinated stuff from the Vietnamese butcher

Tempura soft shell crab with papaya salad was one of the better dishes, but could have used some chilli to lift it to the next level.

I think the eating experience here taught me a lot about the eating culture of the East though; I think I know where I'm starting my first restaurant...

3 comments:

  1. Is it that the East matching your cooking style or that they're a soft target? :)

    Sounded like a so-so experience.

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  2. Sounds like you weren't that impressed wiht teh food there? It's one of those places I've driven past so many times and noticed because of that door but never gone into.

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  3. Simon: bit of A bit of B ;)

    NQN: I wouldn't usually publish a disappointing review - but I really despise just plain, deceptive, false advertising like on their website. If I didn't expect much to begin with it would be a different story...

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