Walking in on the converted brick house turned bakery on this unseasonably warm Autumn day the first thing we notice is the buzz. You know the buzz that every shop owner wants? Sprightly waitresses in shorts and t-shirts abound fetching plates to hungry hordes. At one table there’s a couple with their baby ensconced in a high chair and they’re feeding him little cubes of a sourdough roll dipped in oil and he’s reaching his chubby arms out for more.
The next thing I notice is that we’re needing to play a game of musical chairs this Sunday. There are small tables that seat two to four as well as large communal tables so we perch quietly on seats at a communal table before spying two diners getting up and pounce for their table (well not literally, let’s not embarrass ourselves). Service comes with a smile here and I’m thankful to my friend @carmr for recommending it. I do a quick reconnaissance of the front pastry display cabinet and I spy a Schulz sandwich with wagyu, pickles, cheese, mayo and cos lettuce and my mind is made up. After all as it is a bakery I’m here to try the bread. Mr NQN goes for breakfast, the two poached eggs served with baked beans and bread and opts for a pork and fennel sausage to go with it.
Coffee
A coffee miraculously appears within minutes and Mr NQN sips it and gives a smile. It’s good he confirms.
Schulz Sandwich $11
I prefer this view though…
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| April 14th, 2010 by Not Quite Nigella
Mr NQN, Queen Viv and I were grateful that Wow Bulgogi has such a distinct and eye catching name. Miss America is even more grateful for it too. This steamy hot Summer evening, we were supposed to meet at our new place as Miss America had yet to visit our new digs. Not for lack of trying. You see on Hallowe’en he couldn’t find our house having gone to the wrong street entirely and not possessing a mobile phone, he rang us from his home at 10pm distressed at wandering the streets of my suburb unable to find us. Tonight, the meeting time passes and he still hasn’t turned up. We leave a note on the door and go to Wow Bulgogi wondering what fate might have befallen him this time. We sit down and peruse the menu and then who should emerge from a taxi but Miss America!
“I don’t want to talk about it” he says distraught at the heat and another goose chase around the Eastern Suburbs. We prod him further and he tells us “I remember the name was ‘Wow’ something and I rang directory assistance and they told me this place”. Turns out he had written down the wrong street number for us and the distinct name of this restaurant was the only thing that lured him to the right spot. He was living the 2009 version of the Scorcese comedy “After Hours”.
Onto the food – and the heat. Some might say that we are crazy having bulgogi during a heatwave and you may be right. We were seated near the open windows and even though there was an air conditioner at work, it didn’t feel like it once the hot plate was turned on. The menu explains that it’s called Wow Bulgogi as they want people to say “Wow!” when they taste the food.
Drinks from left to right: 17 cha, Aloe vera drink, chorok maesil and sikhye (rice punch) $4 each
The Aloe Vera drink is the favourite with its sweet, almost faux grape flavour taste. The Sikhye or rice punch is sweet with little bits of rice floating in it and the chorok maesil is a pleasant, fruity flavoured drink. The 17 Cha is a plain unsweetened green tea and is quite dull in comparison. We get our complimentary assortment of accompaniments including potatoes, marinated tofu strips, kim chee, beansprouts and coleslaw with the tastiest being the sweet soy potatoes and the marinated tofu strips.
Sam Gyubsal Pork Belly $16
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| January 2nd, 2010 by Not Quite Nigella
A while ago with two of us ailing (Mr NQN and I) eating out wasn’t such a pleasure. Sure I knew the flu would hit me eventually but I don’t think I’ve ever really been disinterested in food. This flu however (and not even Swine Flu) had knocked us about and so when lunchtime rolled around I’d sip a cup of honey and lemon water and could not be bothered to make anything. That’s how I know that I am sick.
After the requisite time lying about, my sense of smell and taste returned but my throat was still sore so we thought that a Pho place would be a good place to eat. We had walked past a Pho place in nearby Kingsford so one night, we went with Rose and Ronald for a quick bite to eat.
The photo album drinks menu!
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| November 22nd, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Friends in high places, they mean a lot of course but friends in the right places means a lot too. My friend M was just the person that I needed to speak to about a very important topic and she suggested that we meet up at Saks Espresso & Wine in Surry Hills as she works nearby. I did my due diligence (i.e. looking up reviews) and it all looked good. There’s a selection of arty books resting against the banquette near the window and inside is all red and it’s full with patrons.
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| November 21st, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Many moons ago, there was a heritage listed sandstone building in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. It used to be an Italian restaurant but then lay unused for years. It then became The Pond, a pop up restaurant serving local produce and with a constantly changing menu. And like Cinderella at midnight, on January 31st 2010, the sponsorship by Pure Blonde beer expires (although there are plans to keep it running with the intention of making it a profitable business that doesn’t need sponsorship).
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| November 16th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
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