The Soda Factory Review

I have long wanted to go to The Soda Factory and finally the time has come for me to share my experience with you guys. A lot of may know this place for one reason and one reason only (let's be honest here), and that is because they run a Cheaper Tuesday deal where their hotdogs are $1 each. Yes I, like you, rejoice at deals like these. Perhaps one might need to pinch themselves just so that reality can sink in or perhaps a slap, or none at all (cue in that Youtube video of random people slapping each other <-- sincerely suggest that you watch it)

You'd think that I would take advantage of this special by stuffing my face full of hotdogs but let me remind you that I have already, for the past month, stuffed myself crazy so this trip to The Soda Factory was more along the lines of a light meal. Also, this deal has been running for a very long time now so it's not about to go away anytime soon but warning it does get very crowded even though it is a Tuesday so get in early or be prepared to not have a table. 

The Texas Redneck- Bratwurst Pork Sausage, Smoke Sausage, Smoked Chilli cheese, Homemade BBQ sauce- $1

I'm not sure if the servings are any different on other days but at first sight the hotdogs seemed rather small. I didn't have much of an appetite that day so 2 hotdogs was enough to quell my hunger but I think you should be looking to order around 2-5 depending on whether you're hungry and are they type to naturally eat a lot. I really liked the buns that they used, kinda wish that Coles or Woolworths can steal their recipe, the bun was incredibly soft and good enough to eat on its own (when you have bread cravings). I didn't get much of the smoked taste in either the sausage or cheese but the chilli was definitely there though I'm a bit confused with the menu because it says 'smoked chilli cheese'. Wherever the chilli came from (my guess is that's its from the mashed beans on top), you could definitely taste it, it's not too strong more so a light-mild kick. Sausage tasted fairly lean especially for the price paid.

The Buffalo Bill - Battered Chicken Sausage, Spicy Buffalo Sauce, Cheese- $1

I actually preferred the earlier hotdog to this one, this one was much spicier than the first one not that it was too much for me but I felt rather odd about the battered chicken sausage. I guess it's because I'm never had a deep fried sausage but I don't think that it is something that I will grow to like either. Much preferred the melted sauce here compared to the earlier one as well.

Unfortunately after eating here for $2 (for two hotdogs) I don't think I can will myself or my wallet to coming back on a during the week that isn't Tuesday because you should expect to pay $10 per hotdog then.

Bitter's Exam habits

Short reprieve from all the food reviews and fashion posts, this post is just simply me talking about my exam habits which undoubtably features food, food and more food. 

But before I go onto that I should first of all mention how superstitious or otherwise paranoid I am before exams. I am one of those people that follow a routine and follow it profusely. I also hate Sydney's train network and since I'm paranoid of something happening to my train, I get to uni like 1hr early just so that I can have a peace of mind. In this case, I think my paranoia is completely warranted because anything that can happen to you when you are on the train has happened to me and so nothing surprised me anymore. I remember being delayed and extremely late for many reasons, the obvious is a train delay or cancellation but have you ever had a lightning strike kill the entire train grid on a Friday night, or a tree falling down on the trains, a landslide a couple of stations away from you, people jumping onto the train and getting executed, and finally mid-train medical emergencies. I know, I know that is quite a list but sadly on those occasions I was heavily reliant on public transport. 

Another odd thing about my exam life is that I have absolutely the worst stomach in the world. It's perfect for eating all sorts of crazy foods or just lots of food but it hates to travel and it hates it when I have to sit an exam. I feel as though it has a mind of its own because the day before I have an exam, everything is normal but come exam day, BAM!!! I get the worst stomach aches that come literally every time I have to sit an exam, but fortunately the stomach ache goes away when I am actually sitting my exam. I remember during the HSC I had to take Chinese medicine each day prior to sitting an exam just to quell my nerves. 

Is that weird? Anyone else in the same boat, do let me know because I can probably relate to your story as well. 

So for everyone that no longer have to consider sitting exams, lucky you, I still have at least another 3 lovely years before I can probably say that I am through with uni.

Now onto the more pleasant part and that being, the food. I, like a lot of people that I know, snack a lot when studying. I feel as though there is no motivation unless I have snacks at the ready. Guilty as charged. 

Exam food haul

These guys rarely make an appearance in my pantry ever since high school but I know that I can always rely on them when finals are around the corner.

Lindt is like my best friend. 

Strawberries and Cream

This one was particularly sweet, but I find that that is usually the case with white chocolate. I found the strawberry flavour to be a tad fake but then there were also strawberry seeds, maybe it's all in my mind, who knows.

Coconut

This one is milk chocolate, coconut a tad too subtle for my liking especially since coconut is a very distinct flavour. I think I still rather my Lindt ball picks from my first review

I don't know about you but I reward myself between exams, so this is a cinnamon cronut that I bought from Brewtown Newtown along with their soy chai latte.

I am a huge pickled food fan and my mother knows it so look at this gigantic jar of gherkins, if the angle looks deceiving it is actually 2kg. I also have pickled onions and artichokes at home but they don't taste as good as gherkins. I'm still trying to figure out what pickled food I ate in a salad at Courtney's Brassiere so if you have any good pickled food recommendations let me know as well. 

Finally, my last habit. This one isn't so much a habit anymore because I rarely go to the supermarket but I used to be crazy about dried fruits but I was really fussy about the dried fruits that I ate. Whilst I loved dried apples, they were pretty expensive for just ordinary apples so I bought dried goji berries, blueberries, figs and also cranberries (I called the dried cranberries Craisins because that's what OceanSpray called them- the brand I buy- so it is kind of like a spin off raisins but using cranberries instead).

Feasting at the Sydney Fish Market

Growing up in Sydney, I really only hear of the Sydney Fish Market come Christmas time when it makes its regular appearance on the news because everyone goes here to stock up on seafood for Christmas Day. I love seafood and this break I guess I have been following a see-food diet. I'm not entirely sure if I've gained weight because I rarely weigh myself but I started exercising today for the first time in a long long time.

 Come home with me fellas~

Journey of a hat: at the Wharf

A few weeks ago, a friend and I found out that we both coveted a black hat. Though it may seem like a simple request, finding a stiff wide brimmed hat is a difficult task. I was first inspired and captivated by such a hat when I first saw 2NE1's Missing You music video with Dara dressed head to toe in Yves Saint Laurent which included this fabulous black hat paired with a black dress. The price however was far from being accessible priced at just over $900 and even if you had the money to purchase it, sorry but tough luck, it is already sold out alike many other hats of such caliber. After fawning over our ideal black hat with my friend and envisaging the perfect black on black on black ensemble to pair it with, I was determined to find an affordable version. That led me to scouring the internet, first ebay, then Polyvore, ASOS, the Iconic, you name it but sadly those hats were either just as expensive as the YSL one or  floppy and failed to meet my stiff requirement. My last option was going to the online store of David Jones and Myer and fortunately David Jones had a hat that might actually live up to all of my expectations but priced at $125 it would be my most outrageous purchase on a hat, coming from someone who never wears hats. 

The next day, I visited David Jones in the city, and they had the exact hat that I saw online, who knew that my friend was already aware of this brand (Lack of Color) before I had even looked at the label. The problem, price aside, it was a bit floppy, I know that I am sounding like a horrid customer at the moment but I really wanted a perfectly stiff hat. Friend to the rescue, she told me that you can steam it stiff and after a lot of deliberation and selfies in front of the mirror, I bought it. At first I wanted to return it but the more I played around with it, the more I grew to love this hat. I had a mini steam party before shooting this post and by steam party I meant running my kettle and rice cooker at the same time to harness their steam so I can shape the hat.

Outfit details:

Hat: Lack of Color Midnight Muse Montana

Turtle neck: from Mom's wardrobe

Skirt: Vintage, also from Mom's Wardrobe

Shoes: Vintage Bally

Coat: Vintage Byblos Hounds tooth 

Bag: Celine

Red Lip: MAC Ruby Woo

Perhaps this will become somewhat of a tradition now, but I'll finish this post off with some selfies.

Location: Birkenhead Point Wharf

4Fourteen Review

MKR guest judge Colin Fassnidge not only knows how to dish up a mouthful of critiques, he also knows how to manage his Sydney restaurant empire with a string of restaurants bearing the trademark '4/four' in their name. This includes Four in Hand and 4Fourteen. 

If you have been following my Facebook page feed (if not you should do so, Facebook page link in in the social buttons or on the side) then you should know that I have a bit of a habit of kindly informing you guys about the booking program that is Dimmi. It's pretty much a site where you can make reservations online and you get points for doing so and I can now proudly announce that I have accumulated enough points to earn myself a $50 voucher (it's not hard when you eat out as much as I do). What I also love about Dimmi, is the fact that they run these weekly 50% off deals and to top that off you can get points for booking these deals as well. So when a good deal comes along, I could not help but call/text my girlfriends up to organise a luncheon for us. Aptly named 4Fourteen, the name is so fitting considering my girlfriends and I call ourselves the 'Awesome Foursome' (we are so not modest right). 

With their rustic, English style menu and open kitchen against the backdrop of their warehouse setting, 4Fourteen gave us many reasons to return back. Also, for those who are secret judgers of toilets, you will appreciate this venue because the attention to detail of a great restaurant lies not just with their food but also with their amenities. With a candid sign saying 'Loo', beyond the door however lies lit scented candles and hand wash and lotion that would confuse you into thinking that you were actually inside an Aesop store.

And if that description wasn't enough to make you consider this place then surely the food will! 

One of the things that I loved most about 4Fourteen's menu is the fact that everything is designed to be shared, from their nibbles, large plates, and even down to their desserts (I kid you not).

To Nibble:

CJ's Chips and Dips- Chard and Crackling $10

hmmmm fried food

Of course I was glad that I wasn't tackling this one solo, I like my fried food but there's a limit to what I can take. The biggest mystery for us at the table, was what on earth the green thing is, I though it was like a silver beet but with a red/orange stalk, and after some googling I guess I was right. The batter was very light and not too oily, and so you could eat without guilt. The crackling was a first for me, different from what I'm used by still quite pleasant, the only tricky part was figuring out how to divide it so you didn't get pieces flying everywhere. The slightly spicy sauce on the side was great in breaking up that oil taste. 

Glazed Lamb Ribs with Pickled Cabbage $11

I SERIOUSLY NEED TO BOOKMARK THIS PLACE WITH RIBS TO RIVAL THAT OF HURRICANES

Each serving comes with 2 ribs but since we had an extra companion bringing us to a table of 5 we ordered 2 servings (no regrets however) but the team were so nice and gave us an extra rib so that there was enough for one per person without us having to order a third plate. Though after we all had starting eating, there was a unanimous agreement that should we feel that we needed more food notwithstanding dessert, we would definitely order more ribs. Lamb isn't my meat of choice for ribs but I might be converting after having these, the meat so tender and was literally falling of the bone but then again you might say what bone because my piece didn't have a bone. I also loved the sauce, not sure how to describe it other than recounting the fond affection that I have attached to. Finally, I loved pickled foods (more on in future posts) so yay for pickled cabbage.

Small Plates:

Chef's 'Late Night Dinner'- Grilled D'Argental, Onion Jam, Iggy's  $16

We were short of a small plate so we settled for this one. This dish one of those dishes that I would describe as guilty pleasure because if Iggy's bread is not enough they have it paired with luscious D'Argental cheese and my favourite part- the onion jam. I think I might abandon the sharing idea if push comes to shove on late night (:

Roast Bone Marrow, Fried Flat Bread, Spiced Mayo $18

I certainly thought the flat bread most definitely shareable, great crunch to it though I would have rather it not so oily. The spiced mayo generated divided opinions, I though it was rather interesting because the spiced tastes comes after you've eaten it and it wasn't overpowering either. The bone marrow proved a bit difficult to divide,  and was very fatty as to be expected. Not quite sure if it worked with the flat bread because we had them separately. 

Large Plates:

Smoked Beef Brisket, Roast Potatoes, Onion Rings $64

We went for the large size, a smaller serving is available for $38 and yes looks are most certainly deceiving because the beef brisket kind of blends in with the black of the casserole tin.

So better shots of the beef brisket to give it some justice

We literally tore the brisket apart so that it would soak up all the remaining sauce left.

Loved the batter they used for the roast potatoes and onion rings, great crunch but perhaps a bit too oily for my palette (I have a low oil tolerance, please understand). But other than that, I was incredibly content to stuff myself. We all first ate the roast potatoes and onion rings before devouring the beef brisket after we were satisfied that it had absorbed enough of that sauce. It was our absolute must-try dish and it most certainly lived up to our expectations. Such incredibly tender stringy beef with that infused smoke taste, would you believe it if I said that we were all in labour from our food babies?

Mussels, Salted Fish and Batlow Apple Cider Sauce with grilled bread $32

No MKR Manu moment here because there was plenty of sauce, heavenly sauce for that matter. It was so good that we just had to soak the bread in it so we could appreciate the sauce. If you are wishing to emulate me then please follow suit, you won't regret it. Mussels were lovely, with an ample serving.

DESSERTS:

White Chocolate Sandwich, Dulce de Leche $16

YUM!!!!

Actually with that said, there is not much else I saw about the other 2 desserts below. This dessert is 4fourteen's best known dessert but if you ask me the next is even better but enough on that, dulce de leche lovers should rejoice at this because not only is there a healthy dollop on the side of the chopping board, there is also so between the ice-cream and the tuiles. 

Bounty $16

With only one word written on the menu, I was a bit apprehensive to order this at first but after hearing the waitress describe it, we all collectively knew that we had to order this. When it arrived, a collective W O W could be heard from us as we fought camera over phone over phone to get the right shot of this dessert before we let our taste buds celebrate. The dessert titled 'Bounty' is pretty much coconut, chocolate mouse, cocoa and vanilla ice-cream but when paired together you can imagine how good it tasted. For $16 as well which is a modest price, you can bet that I will back in the coming months to feast on this again even if I don't have a voucher/deal with me.

Rhubarb Cheesecake, Lemon and Ginger Bread $15

Our last dessert, a bit of a deconstructed cheesecake but tasted brilliantly together. Super moist ginger bread and yes finally there was enough ginger in there for me (would have like more though but enough to make me satisfied), rhubarb pieces, lemon curd and finally the cream cheese. Nothing was overly sweet so that was a big plus, I think is a cheesecake that even those who normally stray away from cheesecake wouldn't mind. 

Despite only paying half price (RRP are the ones listed), I would definitely be back as a full paying customer because the food was simply sensational. My picks would be the lamb ribs, the beef brisket and pretty much all of the desserts we had with a special mention to the Bounty dessert and the cheesecake.

With a table of 5 this brings us to a bill of $21 pp, not a bad deal correct? The service was also splendid so to make up for our cheaper than chips meal, we also gave a decent tip to thank the team for a wonderful lunch.

Finding your way around

Hi Guys,

I guess you should have already noticed that things don't look quite the same. I'm currently in the process of switching over to this template but of course should you have any complaints let me know because I'm not the only one that visits this blog so I want to make it as user-friendly as possible. Issues that I currently know of: 6 posts are meant to appear on each page, apparently that has something to do with the file size of my posts so I'm tackling that at the moment. Another thing that I'm working on is centering the horizontal menu and yes I have tried googling for the codes but to no success because so far I'm getting a centered vertical list rather than a centered horizontal list. If anyone out there likes or is very familiar with html codes, make yourself known (please).

Visited paint today to prepare this mini-guide, either have fun navigating your way through to see the new changes. I hope you like it because I hate playing around with codes even if I barely do anything by most people's standards; I just quite honestly suck at codes.

Cyren Restaurant and Bar Review

For one of my many post-exam meals, I had initially wanted to go have ribs at Hurricanes but making a booking one week advance for a group of 7 on a Saturday night is practically Mission Impossible. If you can't make a booking then under no circumstances should you go between 6-8:30 with such a large group. Since we had to abort the Hurricanes idea, we then had to think of a Plan B. Usually, I'd be quick to name an alternative but with such a big group on a Saturday night there aren't many decent places especially within the vicinity of Darling Harbour. I'm not really the biggest fan of the restaurants along Darling Harbour, quite often they give you average-to-decent food at outrageous prices and since a lot of them don't really fall under my definition of fine dining, I cannot really justify spending so much. Our bill at Cyren was no different, except that it featured a sneaky tactic from the waitstaff.

Garlic Bread $9

NOTE IF YOU EVER GET OFFERED BREAD DECLINE IF YOU DONT WANT TO PAY

So since Cyren was all decked out neatly with an accompanying napkin, I assumed that it was a 'fine dining' restaurant along the harbour and when a waitstaff came to offer us garlic bread I thus thought that it was complementary. My friends, likewise assumed so as well only to realised that it actually increased our bill by $9. Now I don't mind paying for garlic provided that I know that I should expect it on the bill but when someone comes around to offer it then a reasonable person would expect it just to be a protocol to be offered bread. 

With that said, I am now judging this place with a new perspective. Also if another waitstaff comes around offering honey bread chances are you'll be paying for that so say NO and NO.

Their garlic bread was made using turkish bread which was then toasted with their garlic butter. I found it a bit too oily particular because the bread itself is pretty fatty and oily in itself. I guess getting 2 plates for $9 isn't that bad I just annoyed about the manner in which we found out about the price.

Pan Seared Scallops served in shell with garlic butter $19.50

My only seafood for the night, ironically in a restaurant, belonging to a group that prides itself on its seafood. No, I wasn't mad, it was a difference of opinions- after turning away from Hurricanes I was in the mood for ribs and ribs only- compounded by the fact that I was going to the Fish Market the next day, so I wanted to instead indulge in seafood there instead.

Originally I was going to have no seafood at all, but a friend ordered scallops so I couldn't help but try some since there really is nothing that will get in the way between me and good seafood. The scallops were so delicious, melt in your mouth, I am so fortunate to have never had a bad scallop experience. Of course good food is meant to be shared so I had to settle for just one bite (reason being is that the next day I feasted on more scallops).

Chargrilled Wagyu Beef Burger- tomato, lettuce, sliced beetroot & cheese, served with chips $16

Friend says yum. Yes that is it.

13 inch pizza

Gorgonzola Bianca- creme fraiche, white onion, panchetta, parmesan cheese $22  

So a friend and I shared this pizza and the ribs below, we though that just a full rack of ribs wouldn't quite cut it so pizza on top was in order. The pizza options featured your classics, such as margarita, hawaiian, as well as other less common flavours like chicken souvlaki and the one photographed above.

Unfortunately the Gorgonzola Bianca was a terrible choice, I've never had blue cheese before but smelt and tasted like what I think blue cheese will be like. When eating it, I couldn't really taste the panchetta, it was pretty much a heavy dose of parmesan and their version of creme fraiche. Correct me if I'm wrong but creme fraiche is like a sour cream correct, because I expected dollops of cream fraiche. I'm not sure how this was made but everyone take my advice and never order this!!!!

Full rack Pork ribs with chips $46

If you thought that 2 girls with a bit of help can't finish this then you are wrong. I was so stuffed after finishing this. The fried onions on the top were nice, I love fried onions so it definitely suited me. I'm not the biggest fries fan, had a few but it wasn't special enough to make me finish the whole thing. The ribs were lovely, very tender but if I were to compare it to Hurricanes then I cannot call these ones finger-licking-good. Yes it was nice, but there was something about the sauce that didn't make me love it the way that I love the ribs from Hurricanes.

Obligatory bib selfie to commemorate ribs for dinner

Note my blog is about to undergo a makeover, I know it hasn't been that long since I changed the layout but I felt that it was time for a change and to make everything more pleasant on the eye and hopefully more user-friendly. So if you pop by and it looks different then you'll know why. Also apologies if you're visiting when I'm doing the editing because things may not look quite right.