Da Wan Lai The Poets Chinese Restaurant, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

Cheesecake Boy and I were feeling hungry after our early morning visit to the zoo.  It was lunch time and I felt like some simple dim sum, but did not want to be around the hustle bustle of our usual yum cha haunts.  This led us to  Da Wan Lai The Poets Chinese Restaurant in Top Ryde City Shopping Centre where they serve dim sum made to order.  However, they predominantly focus on Northern Chinese dishes.  If the name of this establishment sounds familiar to you, it is because they are the sister restaurant to Da Wan Lai in Eastwood.

Japan City, Top Ryde

The posting has not been as frequent lately due to my flu that's still lingering around.  However, I did have a shining moment today when we went to Japan City in Top Ryde, so that I could indulge in some daifuku.  Inspired I decided this needed to be shared as soon as possible.  However, if you told me when I was young that I would be eating these mochi balls that usually are filled with a sweet filling, I would have laughed.  I hated Asian sweets when I was young, and you were more liking to see me eating a chocolate eclair or the rainbow ice cream on a cone from Darrell Lea when they use to sell ice cream in store.  Rainbow ice cream was one of my favourite treats growing up in Melbourne, and if I was good in the supermarket when my parents were buying the groceries, then off to Darrell Lea we would go.

Back to the daifuku though, so the literal translation is 'great luck or fortune'.  I don't know if eating them gave me any luck, but I was happy snacking away on these.  Cheesecake Boy came upon these when he decided to have a study break lunch at Japan City last week when I was at work.  Being the considerate and thoughtful boyfriend that he is, he remembered how much I enjoy daifuku at times, and bought some back from Japan City.  Now, when I saw the chocolate on top of the daifuku, I was quite skeptical, but looks can be deceiving.  I liked the taro daifuku so much, that I had to kick the craving a few hours ago at Japan City.

Oliver Brown, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

 

Cheesecake Boy and I are still busy organising our new place, I swear this unpacking is just never ending.  We needed storage containers for the kitchen, so on Sunday we decided to conquer the maze of Ikea.  Approaching the crazy zoo of Ikea made me want out, so some intense wandering of Rhodes Shopping Centre took place instead.  Exhausted after our efforts, we needed a sugar hit.  

After Rhodes Shopping Centre, we headed up to Mrs. Fields at Top Ryde Shopping Centre to get a nibblers gift pack, but decided to detour to Oliver Brown for our sugar hit first.  Oliver Brown is a chocolate cafe that opened late last year.  Apparently, they also have a store in Chatswood Westfield in the Fresh Food Market section.

When the Top Ryde shop initially opened, they offered discounts for all beverages and food excluding chocolate box sets, but as it was so busy, it put us off.  However, this place opens until midnight most nights, and I always see quite a large crowd inside, so we decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The shop front

We decide to sit inside and there are racks on the wall that offer magazines or the paper for you to read whilst you enjoy your purchases.

Inside seating

Red Spoon Thai Restaurant, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

This place is one of our locals.  When Cheesecake Boy and I are super lazy after work we often order home delivery from their Gladesville shop as the Top Ryde shop does not offer this service yet.  

One night, Cheesecake Boy and I were on Spreets and saw that they had an offer that included four courses, a bottle of wine and two Events movie tickets for $59.  The perfect deal for one of our lazy days we thought.

The lazy night in question happen to fall on that dreaded day when Sydney reached 42 degrees.  Now the restaurant is incredibly dim, so I'm sorry but the pictures are really quite terrible.

Course one consisted of prawn betal leaves and mini spring rolls.  The betal leaves had a nice texture due to the sprinkling of the fried onions.  The spring rolls were quite standard filled mainly with cabbage and carrot.   Cheesecake Boy loved the dipping sauce.

Prawn betal leaf

Red Spoon mini stick roll

Hurricanes, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

Top Ryde City Shopping Centre reopened in 2010 after a long leave of absence. Being local residents, Dumpling Girl and I were excited to hear that Hurricanes would be opening a restaurant in "La Strada". Having dined at both the Bondi Beach and Darling Harbour versions of this restaurant, we were looking forward to our favourite menu items being the Portugese Chicken and the rack of Pork Ribs.

Being advised that the restaurant would open "late 2010" we would visit to see if it was open on our weekly shopping expeditions. To our dismay, the opening was pushed back to early 2011 which was not to our liking!. Having nearly given up on trying to predict the opening date, Dumpling girl and I started losing interest. That was until fate would have us in the right place at the right time.

Coming home from a long day at work in yet another boiling hot Sydney day, we decided that we were both too worn out to cook. Being Chinese New Years Eve we decided to go and celebrate once more by eating together. Dumpling girl decided that eating at Eastwood Peking sounded like a good idea. Phoning the restaurant with the faint hope that there would be a spot available, we were advised that the night was booked out. Upon hearing this news we decided to research what restaurants there were open around our area and to our surprise we found that Hurricanes was opening today!!!

We attempted to call to book however due to a non functional booking system (after 6pm) we had to try our luck that there would be spaces available. Arriving to find the place partially filled we were glad to be able to get a seat.

Being opening night there were nearly as many staff on as there were customers. We were ushered to our table by a friendly waiter who advised us that it was the first night working for hurricanes for most of the staff. We were handed menus which we looked at to see what items may tempt us and then decided it was best to stick with our original choices of Portugese Chicken and Pork Ribs with a side of chips and garlic bread. The food arrived and tasted just like we remembered and we were happy with our choices.

The difference between many restaurants is the service it delivers. On our visit the wait staff were attentive, efficient, friendly and professional. If anything I would say that they over delivered which is not always a good thing. I can only read from this that they are opening to make a good impression with all the new clientele.

Overall the experience was well enjoyed and we are sure that we will be back for more sometime in the future. First impressions count and I can say that our first impression was a good one!!

Garlic Bread - Delicious!

Half Chicken with Ribs - Meal for 2!