savory-bites » CBD

Max Brenner, Down Under

Jessie — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:57:27 +0000

vs.

Like what?? You can obviously tell which dish is the one from the Max Brenner in NYC. Even our chocolate dishes have to be flamboyant and attention catching…”

During the first day of tutorial for Globalisation, my tutor, Adeline, asked us to introduce ourselves; to tell everyone what we liked, disliked, and so forth. Well, Dan Sikora, after introducing himself, randomly blurted out, “I HATE CHOCOLATE!” Adeline gasped and drew back, making this weird face. “Are you sure? Maybe you’re just not trying hard enough…”

(I’ve managed to capture an orange essence from the cancerous rays of sunlight.)

While chocolate has its own following down under in Australia, I was surprised to find so many Max Brenner’s in Australia considering how there are only two in the US (both in Manhattan, about a mile apart!). I mean, what country could love sugar and bask in gluttony other than the Americans? But in Sydney alone, I found eight Max Brenner’s, two of which were in CBD. Though the name and chocolate may appear the same, there is a noticable difference between the Aussie Max Brenner and American Max Brenner.

The Australian branches seem to focus more on the concept of chocolate whereas in the US, Max Brenner serves anything from a savory brunch to a supper sized paella. The menu is thick with conconctions of choco-tails, crepes exploding with varying fruit/chocolate, chocolate based desserts, and well, you get the point. But in Sydney, not only is Max Brenner more of a self-serve spot where you place your order at the counter and grab a number, the menu is so small that it fits on the board behind the employees on the counter. So, you’re limited to waffles, cake, and chocolate drinks…

There is something called a Chocolate Lick (pictured above), which I wish was on our menu. It’s basically a “shot” of chocolate, but you’re given a tiny spoon from which you lick the chocolate from. It’s well portioned and seems to do the trick if you’re looking for a bit of a chocolate fix.

Pictured above is the hot chocolate with crunchy balls that Kirstie got. After our dinner at Chat Thai (and an afternoon at Manly Beach where I ate that epicially giant and once dropped ice cream cone), I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to shoulder any more solid food. I went ahead on got the White Shake made of lychee and coconut. What a disappointment! Stick to the chocolate, Max; it’s what you do best. Well, at least it was in a cool looking/named cup- the Alice cup…

Oh, but Clement, who can eat anything and everything and watch his weight evaporate into thin air as he swallows, ordered a fondue (meant for two). With it came banana bread, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, and 2 types of chocolate for the fondue. There was so much fondue that I overestimated Clement’s ability to eat all of it. Thus, we reaped the benefits and gorged on divine chocolate. The funny thing is- the chocolate isn’t even that outstanding. I think it’s really the nonchalant and mood that the restaurant creates that makes me love the place so much. This specific love for chocolate that brings everyone together creates an experience that can only be elevated by chocolate.

(Pink marshmallows???)

But, I do want to emphasize one thing that the Max Brenner in New York City lacks and that’s the Belgian Waffle. Yes, a real Belgian waffle- the kind that crunches under the pressure of the inital bite yet retains its soft and chewiness as you continue to chew. What a divine bite that waffle was!

So, while the Max Brenner in Sydney is smaller, offers less variety, and gives smaller portion sizes (not to mention, they don’t give you a vial of chocolate for your pouring pleasure), it’s definitely worth going for their waffles. I’ve also always found it fascinating in the ways that companies, particularly restaurants, attempt to adjust to other cultures when they expand. I took one friend who frequently went to Max Brenner in Sydney to the one in Union Square and she was absolutely in shock at how different the two places were. They serve the same product, but dress it up differently.

Shop MG 24, Metcentre
273 George Street
NSW 2000,
Phone Number: +61 2 9251 7788

Other Locations!

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Chat Thai

Jessie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:58:53 +0000

I have this reluctant relationship with Thai food. You see, I’m always so happy with my Pad Thai that I’m afraid to deviate and order something new. I remember how I once decided to be bold and adventurious by ordering another dish. It wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great. I ended up regretting that I didn’t order the Pad Thai.

That’s why, in order to get anything accomplished food wise, I prefer to visit Thai restaurants with a large group of people so I can order my Pad Thai and try a bit of everyone else’s dish. When Chat Thai opened its location in Coogee, I thought Angela was going to pee in her pants. It was elegant and sleek looking, yet very laid back. It had an open-bar like design where you could dine inside, but face Carrington Street without the confines of a window.

We ended up going to a Chat Thai in CBD, which was just as busy as the one in Coogee. Luckily, Jano made reservations for our group of 5 so we were promptly seated. We agreed on making it a family style sort of dinner and ordered 3 dishes (mainly because we were going to Max Brenner right after). Of course, we got Pad Thai as well as Chicken & Cashews and Curry with Beef. We had to get extra rice because unlike America, Australians don’t believe in gigantic portion sizes.

My favorite dish (besides the Pad Thai) was the Chicken & Cashews. The curry was spicy and with the chicken, went very well when eaten with rice. It was more of a social dinner, a goodbye before meeting up in America again sort of deal. I think we had more fun with the metal jug of water and taking pictures than actually eating the food.

I have to say that while I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner, I’ve had better and cheaper Thai food, that is, in New York City. This was the only Thai restaurant I went to in Sydney so I have no benchmark. I’d recommend it, but you’d have to come prepared to either wait or make a reservation ahead of time.

MENU
20 Campbell St
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
+61 2 9211 1808

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Tobang

Jessie — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:33:59 +0000

The marvels of finishing our FM final were topped with a visit into the city. Rosa, Angela, and I immediately hopped onto a bus from the racetrack to CBD where we decided we’d settle for any type of food due to our ravishing stomachs. Somehow, we came to agree on Korean. I think it was the prospect of Korean BBQ and drove Angela and I into a frenzy.

Anyway, Tobang is smack in the middle, close to Hyde Park. It looks like one of those dingy restaurants because it has a dingy sign. We looked inside, where the decor was decked out in wood. Food in Sydney is unsurprisingly expensive, but Tobang’s Korean BBQ dishes matched up to those in NYC. We ordered 2 types of meat along with one large hot pot type of dish. Overall it came out to around $20 each, which isn’t too bad.

While the place was on par with the Korean food I’ve had in K-town back home, several things weren’t. Firstly, they don’t offer all the meats that they list on their menu. That day, they only offered beef and pork belly (aka bacon). While the BBQ was good, I didn’t quite like the dipping sauces and the meats weren’t marinated. Don’t expect to be able to get your traditional Korean dishes like bibimbop either.

The huge hot pot dish that we got was filled with white cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and squid. I’d say that it had a diameter for 2 feet! You gotta let it bubble up and evaporate for a few minutes so that the bottoms crisp up and the flavors really get in. I liked this dish, even though it came with a price tag of $38 or so. Still, I’ve never seen this in NYC. Perhaps I’m not looking hard enough.

All went well until just as we were asking for the check, I see a cockroach crawling behind Rosa. She just simply got up, took this notepad lying on the bench, and nonchalantly swiped it away to the ground. Rosa has a sensitive stomach and says that she still felt fine after the meal. Nevertheless, with that roach sighting, I think there are plenty of other Korean restaurants that you can take your chances at.

Tobang Korean Restaurant
128 Liverpool St

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Night Noodle Market

Jessie — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:30:28 +0000

This post comes a bit late as there are only two nights left, but I guess better late than never, eh?

Last Monday, right after tutorial, Rosa and I headed over to Hyde Park to check out the Night Noodle Market. In celebration of Food and Wine month, Sydney (as well as the rest of Australia) is celebrating through festivities and markets alike. The Night Noodle Market ran all of last week and will be running this week until Friday the 24th.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed in the lack of variety of cuisines that they offered. There were about 35 stalls, with 90% of them being all Asian, specifically Chinese and Thai. Then again, with the name “Noodle Market,” I shouldn’t have expected less. The only other “non-noodle” cuisines I saw offered were Japanese pancakes, Turkish pancakes, Italian profiteroles, and ice cream.

I ended up trying the Turkish pancakes, something I wanted to try since I went to the Festival of Winds. They’re basically feta cheese and spinach layered between flat pieces of rolled out dough. Served with a wedge of lemon, they were delicious, but over priced at $8.

Rosa and her friend got Asian. I’d recommend leaving Indian dishes for restaurants because the markets don’t do the Indian foods justice. Mae got the Pad Thai, which didn’t look like a Pad Thai at all because it lacked the orange-y color.

So while the market is really beautiful, with lanterns hanging everywhere to the backdrop of the Needle. Beware though, don’t hold high expectations for the food and expect to pay a decent amount for the food. The good part is, there’s a separate art exhibit called “Shoot the Chef” that’s right outside of the market and it’s free of charge!

For more information, check out this site.
Event Dates:
October 13th – 17th and 20th – 24th

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Lindt Chocolat Cafe

Jessie — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:57:44 +0000

Ahh, I can almost hear the angels sing as I think about our dining experience at the Lindt ChocolatÂ CafÃ© this afternoon. Angela found out that there were a couple of LindtÂ CafÃ©s, but the closest one to us was at Martin Place. We were set on getting hot chocolate and figured that this was a suitable substitute for our weekend ritual coffee.

When we arrived, the dining area was a bit empty, save for a couple of casual diners here and there. They have an exterior seating, full with heating lamps, but we decided to sit inside since the decor was so elegant. One thing to note is that takeaway prices for drinks are about $2.50 less than dining in drinks.

That being said, we eagerly searched the menu for possible items to share, but alas, how can one share chocolate? It took a long while to decide, but finally we did. I ended up just getting their Chocolate Milkshake since I had a huge breakfast. Jenny and Angela both got hot chocolate (dark and milk, respectively) and cake (Chocolate Cake and Excellent Moment, respectively once again). It took less than 10 minutes for our orders to arrive.

At first glance, if you’re paying around $6 for a cake, you’d probably be disappointed at the sheer size of the cakes. They’re no longer than 4 inches and no taller than 1 inch. Angela’s Excellent Moment truthfully didn’t look so excellent; it looked like a lump of black sponge sitting lonely on a large white plate. Jenny’s Chocolate Cake looked much more appealing- it had shaved chocolate toppings adorned with the signature Lindt chocolate piece planted onto the top of the cake like how a flag is planted into the soil. Quite ironic how Chocolate Cake looks more like Excellent Moment and vice versa.

(Left over hot chocolate drizzled onto the Excellent Moment!)

But, thou shall not judge by looks alone! Indeed both were rich and intense with chocolate-ty goodness. The Chocolate Cake was so dense, it took a bit of strength for each spoonful. There’s no way I could have eaten that without a drink. On the otherhand, the Excellent Moment, which is made of dark chocolate, reminded me of a GhiradelliÂ brownie- dense, chewy, a bit dry, but full of chocolate.

(Step 1)… (Step 2)

Moving onto the drinks. The hot chocolate came with 3 cups. One for the pure melted chocolate, one for the steamed milk, and an empty cup for the diner to combine the two. There was only a slight color difference between the milk and dark chocolate (disappointment there), but both Jenny and Angela seemed to thoroughly enjoy their hot chocolates.

I, on the other hand, after from my run this morning, wanted something cooler so I opted for their Chocolate Milkshake. Made with their Lindt ice cream and garnished with shavedÂ Lindt chocolate, it was pure bliss in a tall glass. Hands down THE BEST chocolate milkshake I’ve ever had. It’s so hard to describe, but the shake felt so light, delicately packed with chocolate, smooth- so unorthodox from the usual dense and heavy shakes we get in America.

Overall, a very pricey experience, but a very good one at that. And unfortunately, they do charge a service tip. But I guess if they share the chocolate, we share the wealth.

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