This is just a quick post about one of the most awesome food discoveries I've had this year, Korean Fried Chicken (KFC). You haven't had fried chicken until you have Korean Fried Chicken. What makes it different from ordinary fried chicken is the fact that it is double fried. I know, it sounds like double the fat but actually the use of double frying renders the fat out of the skin making it super crunchy.

Beschico is located on a busy road opposite Epping train station however when we visited on the late afternoon it was empty. The restaurant kind of reminds me of a bistro with the furniture and they also have some lounge chairs at the front if you just wanted to just enjoy a drink.

Moving onto the chicken, we decided to go with a mix of the Chico Hot Drumettes and Original Chico Drumettes just because we thought they would be easier to eat. With my first bite, I was in love. You can definitely hear the crunch with every bite, I could've eaten the whole plate. I particularly enjoyed the glaze on the hot drumettes a bit more just because I do like a spicy hit.


We also ordered a chicken fried rice to share as an accompaniment, however I think the portions were for one person. We only managed to get a couple of bites each among the four of us, however I didn't particularly mind as it was nothing special .



Everyone should really go out and try this double fried wonder next time you're at a Korean Restaurant!



Beschico
Address: 41 Beecroft Road, Epping
Phone: 02 9869 8188
Website: http://beschico.com.au/Beschico/Index.html

Jasmins is my go-to Lebanese restaurant. I can always count on value for money, delicious food and fast service. However, be prepared to wait for a table on a busy Friday or Saturday night.

I recently returned from travelling to Singapore and Malaysia a couple of weeks back and absolutely loved the food there!  To satisfy my withdrawal symptoms JHL and I visited Temasek for lunch. I have visited Temasek once before and I knew they have lunch specials on during weekdays between 11.30am-2.30pm (below).


There were so many options I wanted to try. We really wanted to try the Prawn Laksa and Beef Rendang here but I was going to make laksa later on in the week and JHL had beef rendang the day before. Instead I chose the Mee Goreng with chilli ($10.80) and JHL had the Satay Chicken and Rice ($11.00)

We were impressed with the serving sizes especially since it was a lunch special however JHL was underwhelemed with his dish.  It was a bit on the sweet side and not peanutty enough. It could've done with a few more veges in the dish as well.


I didn't mind the Mee Goreng and definitely tasted better with the hit of chilli. There was a generous serving of prawns in the dish but again, it could've done with some veges.


I also ordered the Chendol Drink ($4.00) consisting of pandan jelly noodles, red been, palm sugar and coconut milk topped with shaved ice. I usually had it as a dessert in Singapore with durian (yum) but the it wasn't bad in a drink form either but could've done with more palm sugar.

The  food  came out fast but service wasn't too good; I'm not sure whether it was because it was lunch time and they wanted to quickly hustle people in and out. Although some aspects were lacking, I would definitely come back to Temasek just because I love Singaporen food and the lunch specials are generous and affordable.

 

Temasek 
Address: 71 George Street  Parramatta, NSW 2150
Phone: 02 9633 9926
Opening times: Tue-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10pm

Oliver Brown is part of Top Ryde City Shopping Centre however it located on the outer part of the shopping centre next to the busy streets of Ryde. I stopped by in the middle of the day during my shopping break for my afternoon sugar fix.

Similar concept to Max Brenner, they had a variety of sweet indulgences such as Belgian waffles, churros, chocolate fondue, macarons, decadent cakes and a variety of hot and cold beverages. They pride themselves on being the best Belgian Chocolate Café and having the 'best' coffee.


I ordered the Fruitti Waffle which is served with strawberries, banana, vanilla ice cream and drizzled with melted chocolate ($11.50/$17.50 for one/two) with an OB Choc Banana Shake ($7.80).


It was not the best waffle I've had, it was actually quite soggy. It did not taste fresh and lacked the crunchy exterior and fluffy interior that a Belgian waffle is meant to have. I wasn't too impressed with the lack of fruit and icy, hard ice cream either.


The Choc Banana (right) wasn't too bad but I struggled to taste the banana flavour. It was definitely not worth $7.80.

Overall, Oliver Brown has not left me yearning to come back;  it might have been the time of day I visited as it wasn't that busy. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a good Belgian waffle, I would still recommend Max Brenner or Bay Vista in Brighton-Le-Sands over Oliver Brown.

The café has long opening hours so you can stop by for your morning coffee or for dessert at night after dinner or movies. It is good to see more chocolate cafes opening in outer Sydney but maybe next time I would give the waffles a miss and try their coffee or other decadent desserts. They also have branches in Rhodes Shopping Centre and Chatswood Westfield.



Oliver Brown
Address: Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, Cnr Of Devlin Street and Baxland Road
Phone: 02 9809 7007
Opening times: 7.30am-midnight (Monday-Friday, 8am-midnight (Saturday and Sunday)
Website: http://www.oliverbrown.com.au/