Who goes to Australia without eating their famous game animals at least once?

I certainly do not. I finally managed to eat them before I go, as Konzy brought me to eat those rare delicacies one evening. Yay!

 

Here we are at The Royal Mail hotel and pub!

 

It was along Spencer Street.

LOLOL I LOL-ed when I saw Batman Street 

 

So yup, we heard about this Roadkill Wednesday thingy for quite some time already but never got a chance to go. And since the exams were finally over, we decided to make a trip down to the city to go one fine Wednesday

 

The Royal Mail

 

When we entered, I thought we had come to the wrong place because the first thing we saw was a pub.

But the pub was just the first part of the entire outlet!

 

We took a few steps into the pub…

 

… and finally saw the restaurant!

 

Comfy couch!

 

Needless to say, I chose a table where it had a pretty background

Moments last longer when it is captured on camera, so I obviously wanted my pictures to turn out nice!

 

This was pretty enough

 

I liked how the entire restaurant was pretty classy and dimly lit. Good for romantic dates! 

The decoration were mostly pop art paintings and Andy Warhol's version of Marilyn Monroe. So classic! 

 

There was a group of businessmen clad fully in suits at the table adjacent to ours

 

We sat close to the fire. Yes.. FIRE!
A wood-fired fireplace… TO STAY WARM!! You won't see this in Malaysia

 

We placed our orders and it was a pretty easy decision because we *still* were rather full from this afternoon's Malaysian food (yes, omnomnom I recommended him all my local delicacies) and we just wanted to try/taste the wild, game meat.

 

So we ordered a  whole grazing platter and sausages to share!

 

T'was yummy!  I'm glad I finally got to taste them.

Here's what we ordered in detail -

 

 I

Royal Mail Grazing Plate of Australian Game Meats with Duck Breast, Rabbit Pie,

Braised Venison Stew, Roo Sausage and Roo Pepperoni

 

From left to right (clockwise), here's my verdict :

I wasn't too excited with the duck breast because we have heaps of them back home anyway. But upon tasting it, the soft, slimy texture made me want to puke and I just had to spit it out. I just couldn't stomach it. But on the contrary, Konzy loved it and how tender it is. I guess, to each their own  If you favour foie gras (goose liver), you might just like this dish.

The Venison Stew was my favourite amongst all. It had a salty aftertaste to it too. I wished I could have some more!

Olives? Don't ask. We both despise olives in general so we can't exactly be the best judge for this.

The Roo Pepperoni was kinda spicy, but in a good way. I'm not quite a pepperoni and salami person, but this was pretty damn good.

The Roo Sausage served with Rosella Sauce was delicious too. It is a native berry and t'was a sweet and meaty combination.

The Rabbit Pie was just delightful! Really yummy  Although it pains me to think that I'm eating my own domesticated pet – I used to rear a fluffy white bunny – I tried to just savour it without thinking of morbid stuff like animal cruelty etc etc.

 

Trio of Bush Sausages : Emu, Wallaby and Camel with Polenta,

Brussel Sprouts, Sauteed Mushrooms and Pancetta

 

Here's my verdict :

The Camel Sausage was the toughest amongst the three. It boasts barbequed-burnt flavour to it (yummy!) and the spices complimented the taste well. I liked the chewy texture to it as well.

The Emu Sausage was the softest and it had the sorta melt-in-your-mouth taste. We found this meat too tender for our liking. It even had a slight bitter aftertaste. Meh. Not something for our palate.

The Wallaby Sausage was our favourite of them all. It was a little spicy as well but the flavour was the best amongst the three. Something I would order again! 

 

Apart from the meat, the veggies, polenta and sauce that came with this dish was an absolute yum.

I ate ALL of it!

 

Photo of me with his creepy death-stare face in the background

He keeps photobombing me T___T

 

After dinner, we were really stuffed! In fact, we couldn't even finish the whole portion of our meal.

I made a trip to the ladies' after him, and I'm glad I did. You shall see why.

 

Shot these when I was in the cubicle (hey, I can multi-task)

 

It was sssssoo pretty, even the toilets had a classic and Victorian feel to it!

What I really liked was these nursery rhymes on the toilet walls - 

 

It brings back memories! Just read them and smile

 

I was pretty sure Konzy was waiting for me outside thinking why on earth am I taking so long.

Well, put me in a pretty restroom with a huge mirror and you won't see me coming out anytime soon.

 

Whee!

 

Hello!

 

I also took my time washing my hands with lukewarm water and washed them with this gentle hand wash

 

Tralalalaala~ 

 

And then I noticed there was another moisturizing handwash.

So I washed my hands again. See? I'm trying to be sanitary here

 

Apparently, the mens' restroom wasn't as awesome as the ladies'?

BWAHAAHAAHA. They don't need a pretty toilet, just give them a hole to pee in. End of story

Kidding!

 

We left soon after – it was time to hit the casinos!

Ka-Ching! $$$$ After my recent win at Star City casino in Sydney, Konzy wanted to put my luck to the test.

 

Arriving Crown casino in South Melbourne

 

We left with a happy smile

 

Needless to say, we won a couple of hundreds 

Zippadee-doo-dah! Tag-team FTW.

 

Okay I know I owe you guys loads and loads of my cooking escapades!

If you are following me on Twitter, you would know that I've been cooking up heaps of stuff for lunches and dinner – often experimental and adventurous.

 

Cheesy Penne Pasta Potato Bake with Roast Chicken!

 

Oh and, just so you know, I never follow recipes. So I have no idea how the "recipe" just popped up in my head!

Hmmm… perhaps all these years of eating or numerous food review sessions has subconsciously taught me a thing or two and honed my long-time repressed culinary instincts.

 

Anyway, that's what I made for dinner for my family in Sydney!

 

Feast up! Also, I will also show you a brief step-by-step on how to recreate the dishes.

Everything I cook is pretty damn easy, to me. If I can make them,  I don't see why you can't as well!

 

Ingredients used – potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, capsicums.

Chop 'em up, dice 'em well, slice 'em well!

 

Before you cut up your veggies, you might want to pre-heat your oven first to prepare for roasting.

Set it to about 180 degrees Celcius.

 

Marinade a whole raw chicken with salt, black pepper and barbeque/mushroom sauce.

Stuff the chopped vegetables into various parts of the poor thing.

 

Yes. That's my hand inside its asshole.

 

Sprinkle more condiments and your favorite herbs. I used basil and rosemary.

Remember to line your roasting tray with aluminium foil or butter it!

 

Take it out of the oven after about 45 minutes or how well-cooked your chicken is INSIDE.

Lay it to cool and carve it to shreds.

 

Boil potatoes and mash them with salt, pepper, milk and butter

 

Boil the pasta of your choice. I chose curls and penne.

Stir fry onions, garlic, spring onions, mushrooms, veggies and that shredded roast chicken

with your fave pasta sauce

 

 

Put everything together in a casserole dish layer by layer.

Mix the pasta evenly with the sauce mixed with everything you've fried earlier, and layer with mashed potatoes and grated cheese. Then pop it in the oven again to bake for about 30 minutes on 150 degrees celcius.

You want your cheese to melt into the potatoes and the layers below it.

 

Yadda yadda yadda preparation time in total would be about 2 hours +

Okay, everyone is hungry… let's eat!

 

Salad for appetizers!

 

Mix cherry tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, avocados and lettuce with mayonnaise or mustard.

 

Have a good balanced diet!

Eat them together with the main meal. Are you hungry yet?

 

Ta-da! Portion for one.

We ended up getting 2nd, 3rd and 4th helpings!

 

I'm glad they loved it. Ahem. They better do

For it is cooked with love, by me

 

Whee I love to see a happy family enjoying my home-cooked dinner!

 

 

There was plenty to go around!

 

Not bad,. All gone! I've made another extra casserole dish… waiting for tomorrow though

Here's to hoping it will suffice for lunch tomorrow!

 

Oh and, this also marks Episode One of my lil cookbook of homemade nomsters by me.

If you haven't tried making this, you probably should. Serves 5 and above All the best!

 

I don't know what is it with me and casinos lately.

I've been recently bringing much luck to everyone who I tag along with to casinos, winning them more than triple and quadruple their capital amount! They say I'm their lucky charm, but I say luck comes and goes…

…and I've been enjoying my winning streak thus far!

 

Chilling at Ivy Pub in Sydney CBD

 

With Cousin Bernice over a pint of cider

 

Cousin Ken, Bernice and I then headed off for dinner shortly after

Ken wanted to bring us to this fine, classy place called Kingsleys Australian Steakhouse!

 

Had some garlic bread on the house after we placed our orders

 

Ken suggested we have some wine but since I've already had the whole pint of cider beer in Ivy already, I figured that I didn't feel like having another alchoholic drink. Besides, for a posh restaurant like this, it's going to cost a bomb!

After much persuasion, we ordered 1 glass of wine. I recommended him the Pedro Ximenez Sherry Spain, one of my faves.
 

 

You can see a little of the decoration of the restaurant behind us

 

 

It was classy and dimly lit.. also full of wine bottles everywhere!

The ambience was fab too – good for romantic dates or to celebrate an occasion

 

On to the food!

 

A well-done 500 g T-Bone Steak! It's a 90 day grain fed one too

Loved how the meat was so flavourful and not too tough at the same time

 

A very happy "laughing Buddha" It was yummy!

 

Roast Kangaroo with Italian coleslaw, Fondant Potatoes and Juniper Jam

Although it was tasty, the roo, as you can see, only came in 4 tiny slices

 

I felt somewhat cheated? How can the main star of the dish be in such a tiny portions?

We were hoping to have more kangaroo on it, at least.

 

Roast Barramundi with Grilled Zucchini, Bush Tomato and Olive Dressing

 

T'was absolutely delicious. What can I say? Pretty obvious that I'll order fish again – just like every other time.

The flesh of the barramundi was so soft and the veggies complemented the dish well

 

Was so happy and satisfied with what I ordered!

 

And finally! Dessert for the sweet-tooths

Although I'm not really big on sweet, sugary stuff, if there's one thing I can't resist, it's chocolate!

 

Dark Chocolate Delice with Coffee Anglaise, English Toffee and Sea Salt

That's one crazy combo, but it worked perfectly well! Who would've thought?

 

Major heaps of love for this dessert!

 

It was SO SMOOTH and creamy, reminds me of mousse but better!

 

After a scrumptious dinner (thanks Ken!) with our happy tummies, we decided to go for a spin at Star City casino – Sydney's one and only largest casino! Hmmm.. let the dices roll!

 

We arrived and I was pretty impressed by the grand drive-through entrance!

 

The ushers were so friendly and efficient in greeting everyone/opening car doors too

 

The insides of Star City Casino

WOW! You gotta even take an escalator up where security will check your IDs at 2 different spots

 

That's my favorite game I always play at casinos, apart from Roulette and Big vs Small

 

And guess what? I won triple the amount we put in tonight $$$

Three cheers for good luck and masterful gambling skills!!! LOLOL

 

I know there are heaps of Indian food in Malaysia, where I'm from.

But within the past 5 months in Australia, I hadn't had a single taste of Indian food… at all!

 

My tastebuds were beginning to have mad, insatiable craving for spicy, smooth curries and Indian roti & naans.

 

But Konzy beat me to it. At 4 o'clock in the morning, he suggested that we go for Indian food!

@___@

 

And we rounded up buddy his sister Jaime and buddy Alex to come along and join us

 

Double date Indian style! Our food escapade awaits!

I ordered Mango Lassi – which Indian dinner is complete without the famous lassi?

 

It somehow tasted TOO yoghurt-ey

 

We didn't take long to order our food although we were spoiled for choice!

Each of us ordered a different bowl of curry each, some rice and naan bread

 

Took pictures of the restaurant while waiting for the food

 

There was something about the decor that was authentically Indian about this outlet.

Heck they even played Bollywood music videos (as seen on the TV screen) and Hindi/Tamil songs too

 

Camwhored while waiting

 

And yay the food arrived!

Here's my steaming Masala Kulcha naan, fresh off the oven

 

It had a whole lotta stuff in it, capsicums, onions and more!

 

The curries came shortly after

Here are 4 of our curries that we shared amongst each other

 

Top row : Prawn Masala Curry & Beef Vindaloo

Bottom row : Chicken Tikka Masala & Bangol Chicken Curry

 

Looked so creamy, smooth and nommy!

I bet it'll taste just as good  – if not better

 

all ready to gobble them all up

 

Verdict?

It was delicious, without a doubt! My favorite was the Bangol Chicken Curry.

the Prawn Masala Curry wasn't spicy AT ALL; where as the Beef Vindaloo which was spicy till my ears fumed LOL

 

Konzy and his sister Jaime engaging in an odd conversation about teeth and braces

 

This just keeps rubbing it in. I've always wanted to have braces done since I was 12 but was too afraid

And now when everyone has taken their braces off looking all pretty, I refuse to put them on NOW.

 

I don't wanna be a brace-face at 21! Highly, highly unattractive.

 

Anyways, we ate and ate – till we were stuffed! My gosh, I swear I've never been THIS full since forever It was so yummy that we kept eating.

 

In the end, we didn't manage to finish the rice, naan and Beef Vindaloo!

Everything else was a brave attempt to chomp down whee

 

A very full & bloated us. Nommynomnom!

 

More camwhore pictures- in front of Out of India's huge mirror!

 

I'm glad we finally caved in to our Indian cravings.

The burn of the curry was good and its spiciness cleared up my nose

 

Jaime and I – One for the road!

 

 

————————————

 

 

Next stop – another Indian ritual?

Woot woot! This was before I left for Sydney during the Easter Holidays

 

Ana, Y U NO look at the camera properly one
 

Anyway! We brought 2 of our white friends along and was tad worried they might find it too spicy

So to somewhat suit everybody's tastebuds, here's what we ordered!

 

Tandoori Chicken -(coincidentally, my fave!)

 

3 curries which I don't remember the names anymore LOL

Wrote it down somewhere but it decided to play some hide and seek at my displeasure

 

I know 2 of it were chicken and 1 of it was lamb.

And all 3 curries were pretty spicy!

 

SPYYYYYYYYYY SEEEEEEEEEEEE! It burrrrrrrns!

 

But whatever, with every burn, I take another bite

You now how you can't take it but it's too yummy to stop? Summin' like that

 

It's finger lickin' good LOLOLOL

 

Here are the 2 white boys attempting Indian food -

 

Can you handle it?

 

Oh and here's my favorite curry among the three that we ordered.

 

But! I don't remember what it was called either

 

So that was my gastronomic escape to "Little India"

Strangely enough, I have just realized that I don't eat enough Indian food whilst in Malaysia. I probably should!

 

Random camwhore photo! I was bored while waiting for them

 

Okay bye! *abrupt ending*

P/S : Indian food rocks. I'm game for it anytime!