Blue Heaven, Hurtsville

I found a Burmese Thai restaurant in Hurstville which is truly a one-stop spot for a complete dining experience.  From main meals and snacks to desserts and drinks, they cover it all under one roof.  Their savoury dishes focus on Burmese cuisine. while the sweets and beverages lean towards Thai flavours.

Golden tofu

We started with the deep-fried tofu, which was a standout snack.  Served in tiny, bite-sized pieces, it was beautifully golden and crisp on the outside while staying soft inside.  Simple but yet satisfying. 

Crab spring rolls

Warm tofu noodle

I was so excited to try this dish.  It is a Shan noodle dish served with chicken and tofu gravy.  But a little disappointed.  The tofu noodle dish had a creamy texture but lacking in flavour for me.  I expected something with more pungent and more kick.

Fish noodle soup

Their mohinga, on the other side, was delicious and aromatic.  The flavour of this Burmese national dish reminded me a lot of Indonesian soto Lamongan, with its comforting, savoury broth and fragrant spices.  Overall, the savoury dishes can be a hit or a miss, but when they hit, they're quite enjoyable.

Shan noodle

Pandan custard caramel toast - served with coconut ice cream, cookie crumbles, pandan custard and salted caramel sauce

Where Bue Heaven truly shines is in their desserts.  Their shokupan honey toast was perfectly toasted with a light brown sugar crunch coating the bread.  We tried two different toppings: the classic banana caramel and a more Southeast Asian-inspired with pandan custard and coconut ice cream.  Both were equally impressive and indulgent.  Their bingsu was another great way to end the meal.

Banana caramel toast - shokupan toast with caramel butter served with vanilla ice cream, cookie crumbles, caramelised banana and salted caramel sauce

Lod Chong bingsu - Coconut milk bingsu served with pandan vermicelli, jackfruit, coconut jelly, and a drizzle of palm sugar sauce and whipped cream

To drink, I loved their chanom or Thai milk tea, which had a slightly bitter note that kept it from being overly sweet. 

The owner also gave us a complimentary deep-fried banana, which was amazing.  The batter had the perfect thickness, making it light and crispy.  They also offer take away Thai sweets such as mango sticky rice and amazing butter cookies.

Overall, Blue Heaven is worth a visit, especially if you have a sweet tooth and enjoy exploring Burmese and Thai flavours in one place.

Blue Heaven

238 Forest Road, Hurstville

Ph: +61 416 327 143

D'Penyetz & D'Cendol, Burwood

If you're craving authentic Indonesian comfort food, this restaurant is a spot worth checking out.  The word penyetan comes from the Indonesian method of lightly smashing (penyet) fried dishes and serving them with bold, fiery sambal.

They're especially famous for their fried chicken, which is crispy, juicy and perfectly paired with their house-made sambal that packs a serious punch.  You can choose from varieties of sambal like sambal bawang, sambal terasi, sambal kecap and more.  Sambal lovers will feel right at home here.

One absolute must-try is their durian cendol drink - rich, sweet and indulgent.  It's a real treat for durian fans.  For mains, the iga bakar (grilled beef ribs) is another standout.  It's so tender, smoky and full of flavour.  If you're in the mood for variety, they also offer other menu options like fried fish and comforting soups, making it easy to please everyone at the table. 

The restaurant itself is not very big and it gets extremely busy during peak hours.  They don't take reservations, so queues are common and the wait can get pretty mad if you arrive late.  My tip?  Come early to secure a seat and avoid a long wait.

Durian cendol

Ayam penyet with sambal terasi

ayam penyet with sambal kecap

Iga bakar

Tahu telor

D'Penyetz & D'Cendol, Burwood

183C Burwood Road, Burwood 

Ph: 02 8526 0199

Open: 12pm - 10pm on weekdays, 11:30 - 10pm on weekends

City branch:

Shop 8/339 Sussex Street, Sydney

Open: 11:30 - 10pm (weekend close at 11pm)

There are a few shops in Melbourne as well 

Muay Thai Cafe, Haymarket Sydney

There is this one restaurant located in the heart of Thai Town in Sydney, inside Capitol Square that is always be our go-to place.  What makes this place stand out is its beautiful spread of regional Thai dishes.  From the bold and fiery flavours of Eastern Thailand to the comforting classic of the Central region, the menu feels like a delicious cross-country journey.

From aromatic soups to perfectly seasoned stir-fries, the central Thai dishes are comforting and familiar.  But the best of all from me is something much more humble: plain rice congee (khao tom) accompanied with your choice of condiments.  It's light, warm and soothing.  It's exactly what you need on a chilly night or for a gentle reset meal.

Fish sausage

Stir fried Chinese broccoli with salted fish

Pork mince omelette

Stir fried squid with salted egg

Stir fried minced pork with nam liep

Chinese sausage salad

Plain rice congee

Another highlight is their rice congee set menu.  When you order it, you get unlimited, self-serve congee.  That means you can enjoy as much as you'd like, adding condiments and toppings to your heart's content.  There are two set menus $19 and $36, where with $19, you can choose four dishes from nine choices while another one, still you can only pick four but from 16 options.  

In the set menu, of course dishes come in a smaller portion.  But, you can also get them in the original size dish which cost around $15 to $20 each.

Grilled meatballs

The cafe also offers all the iconic dishes you'd expect from Thailand's northeast.  Their salad is tangy, spicy, and perfectly balanced.  Their grilled chicken (gai yang) and grilled sour pork (naem) pair wonderfully with sticky rice, giving you that rustic street-food feel right in the heart of Sydney.  It's simple, flavourful and incredibly satisfying.

My favourite dish is the unusual tum dish (salad dish) called tum moo yor or the Vietnamese style sausage salad.  It is a full on moo yor with some snake beans and tomato with the same sauce for som tum pla ra (fermented fish).  

Yum moo yor

Grilled naem (fermented pork)

Grilled chicked (kai yang)

Spicy pork bone soup

Crispy chicken skin

If you're craving authentic Thai flavours in Sydney - not just the usual pad thai and green curry, but the real home-style dishes loved across Thailand - Malila or Muay Thai Cafe is a hidden gem you'll want to bookmark.

Muay Thai Cafe (Ma Li La)

Shop G12, 730-742 George St, Haymarket

Inside Capitol Square Building (behind the Chinatown tram stop)

Getbawi - Korean Seafood Restaurant, Eastwood

If you're craving ultra-fresh seafood served in huge portions, Getbawi Eastwood deserves a spot at the top of your must-visit list.  This Korean seafood restaurant offers an experience that feels premium, generous and surprisingly affordable.  Every dish came in big, generous portions. making the meal feel truly worth the price.  

What really sets Getbawi in Eastwood apart is their luxury complimentary side dishes.  Along with the usual banchan, they serve prawns and octopus as free sides - something you'll rarely, if ever, find at any other restaurant.  It's an unexpected treat that adds incredible value and makes the dining experience even more memorable. 

Kingfish sashimi $56

We ordered the king fish sashimi and tuna sashimi and they both were seriously fresh, clean, delicate and with that perfect firm texture.  The smell of a sea shines through the fish flavours, letting them speak for itself.

Bluefin tuna sashimi $55/250g

Salmon sashimi and beef yukhoe rice bowl $28

I love this fresh salmon and beef yukhoe dish.  It is very refreshing and flavoursome.  There were fresh vegetables to mix with and it was like eating flavourful salad rice dish.

Grilled eel $35

The grilled eel rounded out our meal with its rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture and smoky-sweet glaze. 

Despite the high-quality ingredients and large serving sizes, the prices remain very reasonable.  For the portions and freshness you get, it feels like you're getting more than what you pay for. 

Getbawi Eastwood

Shop 201/62-80 Rowe St, Eastwood

Ph: 0410 177575

Open: 11:30am - 10:30pm

La Chouette, Sydney

Recently, we dined at La Chouette, a French bistro located in a suburban area, Hunters Hill.  The heritage house turned into a fine and cozy dining space.  Only two persons run the show: a husband and wife.  The man is the chef while the wife manages the serving duties.  We arrived genuinely excited to see how the kitchen would marry bold ideas with classic French comfort.  Lucky, on the day we visited, they just newly launched a few menus like sea urchin and caviar and baked prawns.  What followed was a meal full of promise, a few lovely highlights and several surprising missteps.

Steak tartare with egg yolk, aioli, anchoiade and pomme frites $35 (small)

First menu arrived and the evening began on a high with a beautifully seasoned steak tartare.  Fresh, lean and mixed with just the right punch of acidity.  It was an incredible dish.  One of the best steak tartare I had ever eaten actually.

But then came the unexpected letdown, instead of the usual crisp cracker or even a slice of rustic French bread, the tartare arrived with chips.  While quirky, it felt out of step with an otherwise elegant dish and took away from the traditional tartare accompaniments.  I also overheard the table next to us asking the same thing.  The French fries just didn't really match.

Sea urchin (cold) with cauliflower mousse, crustacean bisque jelly and black lumpfish caviar $30

La Chouette's new menu leans into luxury ingredients, but sometimes the idea outshines the execution. The sea urchin dish was certainly eye-catching.  It was plated with intention and priced accordingly.  Unfortunately, despite the impressive components, the flavours didn't quite sing together.  Instead of a rich, briny harmony, the dish felt a little disjoined, as though the ingredients were standing next to each other rather than working as one.

 

Burgundy snail - served in shell with garlic butter and parsley $26 for half dozen

We also ordered the snails, which were comforting in their buttery, garlicky sauce.  It is classic and satisfying.

Pan fried foie gras with seasonal fruits/vegies, sweet corn sauce and poutargue $36 

The foie grass was smooth and rich, a decadent treat that leaned into the restaurant's French identity.

Duck confit served with pickled cabbage, carrot mash, citrus sweet and sour sauce $45

For our mains, we ordered the duck confit.  It was well-seasoned and hearty with tender meat.

Jack's Creek black angus sirloin MB4 $55

Both steak dishes were cooked decently - good char, solid flavour.  I think their steaks are the best.  Nicely cooked, medium rare as we asked for.  The sirloin came with bearnaise sauce and some French fries, while the tenderloin was served with some duxelle or minced mushroom and roasted vegies in red wine and black vinegar sauce.

Beef tenderloin (Riverain 200g) $50

Aguna murray cod fillet $55

The cod was where things faltered the most.  While the flavour was mild and pleasant, the fillet arrived with quite a few bones still attached, making it rather unsafe for a five years old kid to enjoy.  And for $55 just for a piece of fish fillet, they definitely went overboard.

Creme brulee $18

Now, let's move on to their dessert.  I like their creme brulee the most.  Classic and well executed.  The crack of the sugar top was satisfying and the custard underneath was silky and smooth.  While the choux was light and not so sweet but the pistachio cream was not standout at all.  Not impressed with this.  The last dessert we got was the souffle.  She recommended this dish and I noticed around other tables, many people ordered this as well.  When this arrived on our table, I was impressed with the height.  Delicate texture, but the sourness from passionfruit sauce was extremely sour and overpowering.  What a pity!

Paris brest pistachio $22

Souffle served with passionfruit coulis and ice cream $22

La Chouette is clearly striving for something special - elevated French cuisine in the heart of Hunters Hill - and in several instances, the ambition shows.  The tartare, foie gras and desserts all demonstrate what the restaurant can do.  But this visit also revealed inconsistancies: mismatched accompaniments, luxury ingredients whose flavours didn't quite harmonise and technical oversights like bones in the cod.  With refinement and attention to detail, the restaurant has the potential to be a true gem.  Still, we left with full stomachs, as a few memorable bites and curiosity to see how the menu evolves.

La Chouette 

54 Alexandra St, Hunters Hill

Ph: +61 2 8084 2428

Open: Dinner Tue - Sat from 5:30pm til late and Sunday lunch from 12pm