Simple Asian Roasted Pork Shoulder Recipe

Ahhh, there's definitely nothing better than the taste of pork! Growing up in Malaysia, pork made its mark as one of the staple ingredients in our meals (for us Chinese mostly? Definitely non-halal lol). I would say that my favourite cut is pork belly *drools*

Since my relocation, my partner decided that instead of bumming around at home all day, he'd ask me to walk all the way to the grocery store (and for the much needed "exercise"). 

Walked over to the meat section, and I was just about to pick up some pork chops, but, I looked over to the other fridge and noticed pork shoulder picnic cuts for cheaper! Me, being greedy and somewhat a cheap-skate at times, want the best value for more meat. So, pork shoulder it was. 

I've prepared large slabs of pork belly in the past, but that chunk of meat is probably one of the thickest (heaviest, largest??) portion I've worked with, besides a whole chicken. 

Since I was walking home, I only bought a few other ingredients wholly unrelated to this pork dish. I realised this as soon as I got home - upon some of my research, if I wanted a tender pork dish, I have to have like either (a) twenty other ingredients which I do not have, (b) slow roast the shit out of the pork overnight, but I don't want an alarming electricity bill, or (c) pop it in a slow-cooker, again, which I do not possess. AHHHHH...

So, I thought to myself, why the heck not. Let's try slow-cooking it at a relatively low temperature and for longer. Turns out, it was a darn heck of a tender roast with awesome, awesome flavours. 

Job well done, Mesha. Job well done. *gloats*

Anyways, decided to keep a record for self-use or for anyone who happens to tumble upon this post. Keep in mind, when I mentioned "simple", its based wholly on a few staple ingredients I have in my pantry. Also, I have a convection oven.

Before I forget as well, I remember that I don't really do measurements either. Mostly a gut feeling.

Simple Asian Roasted Pork Shoulder Recipe

Cooking time: 5 hours

Ingredients: 

1 pork shoulder (picnic)

4 cloves of garlic (peeled, half-pressed, & halved)

1 Brown Onion (sliced)

1 tsp Sesame Oil

Chinese 5-spice 

Black Pepper

White Pepper (the one I am currently using is a white-pepper salt mixture. If it's plain white pepper, add salt)

*Salt

For the homemade teriyaki sauce 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup mirin 

2 tsp white sugar 

Method:

1. Leave the pork out on a bench until room temperature (or slightly cold to touch if needed).

2. Preheat oven to 250F / 120C. ("Roast" setting)

3. With the pork, create little garlic "pockets", by making a deep slits in the pork. Depending on how big your piece is, you can try and evenly make slits. (I only made 5 slits, so the remaining garlic halves was stuffed into the slits which I had over cut). Stuff garlic halves into slits.

4. The first layer of dry rub is the 5-spice. Evenly, but thinly coat the meat with this spice. It is a very strong spice, so depending on your preference, use more or less. (I coated mine with more!)

5. The second layer of rub is the white pepper, black pepper (*and salt). The best ratio is 2:1. More white pepper than black. *If you are using salt, evenly season it on the entire meat.

6. Drizzle top of meat with sesame oil

7. Put the well-seasoned meat onto a non-stick baking tray and transfer to the second rack of the oven for 4.5 hours.

8. After time has elapsed, take meat out, transfer to a plate and set aside. Re-set oven to 450F /232C

**OPTIONAL STEP**

On the baking tray, take a teaspoon of rendered pork fat and put aside. (I put mine straight onto the frying pan).  You can either keep the rendered pork fat/oil for other recipes or discard.

9. With the onions, layer it on the tray, focusing the amounts mostly on the middle. Take the pork and put it on top of the onions. Pop it back into the oven, middle rack, for another 30 minutes.

10. With the kept rendered pork fat, (if you decided to keep it), transfer to frying pan. Heat stove to medium - medium low. Pour in wet ingredients and mix.

11. Once the sauce is hot enough, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Leave it simmering until reduced, which should take about 30 minutes as well. 

12. Remove tray from oven. Let the meat rest. Carve to desired thickness and serve with the homemade teriyaki sauce.

Verdict:

Boyfriend-approved. He even dared to say that it was the best meal I've conjured up in a while @#$%! 

The 5-spice, white & black pepper rub is one that I am very fond of; I've tried this with osso bucco, pork belly, etc., Also, the smell of the spices fills the room. Win-win

In summary, this was a success: the meat was oh-so very tender and moist (dare I say, almost falling apart), whilst still maintaining that thin spiced-crust which had formed, which also provided a lot of flavor. The garlic was so soft, it almost became like a natural garlic butter paste. Additionally, I loved the teriyaki sauce with it as it added sweetness and further flavour depth to this dish. 

Lastly, I find this awesome as I am technically kitchen-ware impaired as I have yet to buy myself a slow-cooker and do not have many other spices or ingredient on hand!

** No photos cause we devoured it for dinner. Leftovers in fridge **

Melbourne Mini Getaway! (30MAR14 - 01APR14)

I was quite excited about the trip, despite the fact that I was going down there for the sole purpose of renewing my passport and that I have been to Melbourne twice. It was only for three days and it was good for the boyfriend to visit another Australian city he had not seen before. 

Third time lucky was the charm for me, as I didn't like Melbourne too much - but then I never had a proper chance to check out the food culture that seems to be a rage everywhere in Melbourne CBD. Not to mention, we also decided to splurge and stay at a fancy accommodation: nothing less than a 4-star property. I have also my colleague to thank, due to his advice on using another wholesaler, whose prices are too darn cheap to pass-up on. After much research and digging around, I decided to book two nights at the Crown Metropol. I got a bit confused with the rating (on the wholesaler's page, it shows 5-star but on Google, 4 to 4.5?), but nontheless, it looked quite luxurious.

And it was amay-zing!!

We bummed around and took our time unpacking a little bit before deciding to check the rest of the place out. As per fore-mentioned in my previous post, the hotel interlinked with the rest of the entertainment complex, so we scooted down towards the casino, passing by many retail stores and restaurants on the way. A wee look inside the casino before heading into the city, to show James around central Melbourne. Surprisingly, and luckily, it was considerably a warm, sunny day. The weather then prompted us (yes, I am using the weather as an excuse) towards a random bar, which for the life of me, I cannot remember its name. All I can remember that it was down a strip of various cafes/restaurants (if any Melbournite can help, the strip had a Vietnamese restaurant and a French crepe-place and plenty of other restaurants all on the same mini-street), and it had a sign saying: Roof-top bar now open. James and I, made our way up a few flights of stairs before entering a quaint little bar, which served some food as well. Nothing better than a couple of pints each and something to fill the tummy. As per usual, I always get to choose the food!

James, my waiter for the day. 

Rabbit & pork terrine, served with some pickles and toasted bread.

After a couple of beers each and in the heat, we got tipsy pretty damn quickly before making our way back to the casino for more drinks and James' try for luck at one of the blackjack table, leaving after losing $50AUD :( Long story short, that was pretty much the first day spent in Melbourne.

Day 2:
Feeling slightly less great after one-too-many alcoholic drinks in the system, we decided to head down to Mr. Hive Kitchen & Bar, for a buffet breakfast, where we stuffed ourselves silly (the waffles was the best I've had and it's not the average fluffy kind either. It has a somewhat biscuity style and taste). Next on the agenda, was the sole reason as to why we went to Melbourne in the first place: my passport renewal. Since the process took waayyy faster than I had expected, we then caught a cab back into the city for more exploration. My friend had recommended a place called MoVida prior to our little escapade, and it was by chance we found the other branch tucked in a little alley. We were still too stuffed from our breakfast, so a walkabout took place, which ended at Melbourne's museum. It was late afternoon by then, and my feet were sore from walking in shoes definitely not meant for walking in. It was also a great excuse to catch the free tram and a little side-sightseeing before getting off near MoVida.

News of air-dried wagyu beef dishes, and other great tapas spread quite quickly from one foodie to another and I had to check this place out for myself. I hate to admit, but I had missed out on the large food scene in Melbourne as I was a poor student and the second time, I had no opportunity to visit nice restaurants as well.

Hot, and sweaty, we both ordered beers and asked the waiter what he recommended. Found this awesome dark Spanish beer, which was light and easy to drink.

A perfect way to end a long, sweaty walk, with a bottle of Alhambra

Another item on the menu, which seemed to be my friend's craze, other than the air-dried wagyu beef, was the smoked mackeral, so I ordered that as soon as we had the chance to look at the menu. The waiter did mention that the "tapa" was bite-sized. He wasn't kidding.

Left to right: Gazpacho (Organic Corn Gazpacho with Spanner Crab & Salmon Roe) $6.00AUD each and Caballa Ahumada (House Cold Smoked Mackerel with Pine Nut Gazpacho Sorbet), also at $6.00AUD each.

I loved the Caballa Ahumada: it was a chilled appetizer, but with an instant hit of smoked fish whilst the sorbet really intensified the flavour. James' order of the Gazpacho was also quite interesting, as it was served in a chinese tea-cup. I had a sip (I found it okay, to be honest), whilst he insisted that the chunk of crab at the bottom of the cup was really yummy. Another dish I had ordered (but not displayed here) was the Mejillone Al Gazpachuelo (Spring Bay Mussel Enriched with an Almond Sauce) $3.00AUD each. What we thought was a little bit of a rip-off was the Patata Brava (Deep-fried potato with Spicy Aioli) $3.50AUD each. Why? See below:

Seriously? It's a single potato gem with some good sauce, but it is NOT worth $3.50AUD! I can buy an entire pack of potato gems at a local grocery store for a dollar extra!! 

We then moved on to the "Raciones", which is a much larger, to-share dishes:

 This dish would be my favourite so far at MoVida: Pate de Pato (Duck Liver Pate with Pedro Ximenez Foam & Toasted Brioche). $15.00AUD

Cecina (Air-dried Wagyu with Poached Organic Egg & Truffle Foam) $21.00AUD. Actually, the cream-coloured stuff is mashed potato. What happened to the truffle foam, IDK).

The pate dish, was so far my favourite dish served there - it was creamy, intensified duck-liver-flavour, and the slightly-sweet foam, added to the enhanced flavour. The melt-in-your-mouth toasted brioche was a good bonus too. However, the Cecina, was somewhat disappointing as we had our hopes built up based on my friend's personal feedback on the dish. I am going to assume that he had the proper stuff, as I would again assume that air-dried = slightly crunchier meat, rather than meat that tasted like a cross between Black Forest Ham and salami. Why it was served it mashed potatoes as opposed to truffle foam, is still a mystery. Don't get me wrong, it was still flavourful and interesting to eat, but not what we had in mind.

The last dish we ordered after this (again, not pictured) is a dish they had as a special of the day: grilled octopus & beef with chickpeas (the proper name of the dish evades my memory). That was pretty filling and wholesome, which finally satisfied our hunger.

What I thought:

• Food/Presentation: 4/5 (it was good, but yet there is a rustic charm to the served dishes. A little bit of a hit-and-miss situation in our scenario).
• Ambience: 4.5/5 (Rustic, quaintly located in an alley way full of graffiti.)
• Service: 3.5/5 (some of the staff were somewhat friendly, but left us alone a little bit too long. It is casual dining after all, but still...)
• Monetary value: 3/5 (depending how big of an appetite you have, the bill can rack up quite easily)

Check MoVida Out:

1 Hosier Lane (off Flinders Street) | Melbourne,

Victoria, 3000, Australia

(P): 03 9663 3038

(W): http://movida.com.au/movida/

After our fill, we walked back to the entertainment complex, had a couple more drinks before calling an end to the night.

Day 3:
Last day in Melbourne: slept-in as much as we could and packed as quickly as possible. The check-out service, again, was impeccable, where we dropped off our luggage for safe-keeping before wandering around, deciding which place to have our last meal in Melbourne. After much debate, consideration and discussion, we finally settled for Nobu.

We were literally the first ones there for our brunch. Our waiter, bless his soul, provided impeccable service - he was patient, introduced Nobu and the dining & cuisine style (Japanese fusion), offered recommendation when needed. The menu had too many delectable items to choose from and decided finally on getting a different bento box each - which featured a variety of dishes within a dish.

 Nobu Bento Box (Top left, counter-clockwise): Sauteed Vegetables with Spicy Garlic Sauce, Black Cod Miso (Nobu's Signature dish), Baby Tiger Prawns with Butter Ponzu, Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing, and the Chef's selection of assorted Sushi. $50.00AUD. Served with Miso Soup.

I ordered the Sushi Bento (Top left, counter clock-wise): Prawn Tempura Cut Roll (6 pieces), Yellowtail Jalapeno, Chirashi Sushi, and Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing. $45.00AUD. Served with Miso Soup.

Everything in the bento box, was delightfully fresh and tasty. We could not have asked for more. The waiter also explained that with the dining experience in Nobu, he would serve the miso soup for starters before presenting the main meal.

I gulped down the soup as I was starving by then and as soon as the food came (the Nobu Bento came first), we dug in. Boy, oh boy: the prawns were fresh and tasty, the cod was melt-in-your-mouth tasty, and the dressing on the sashimi salad was my favourite!

The Sushi Bento came next and I shoved that down too. The "chirashi sushi", explained by our kind waiter, was like an "open" style sushi: more technically, sashimi on a bed of rice, which was what I was hoping for anyways.

Nobu had a restaurant launched Perth ages ago, but I had never taken the time or effort to try it. Man, I missed out!

Anyways, this is my perception:

• Food/Presentation: 4/5 (it was a Bento box, but still stylish nonetheless)
• Ambience: 4.5/5 (definitely feel like you're in a top restaurant)
• Service: 5/5 (Uh-May-Zingg)
• Monetary Value: 3/5 (Great food, but for top-end prices. Worth it if you're rich!)

Nobu:

8 Whiteman Street | Southbank

Victoria, 3006, Australia

(P): 03 9292 7879

(W): http://www.noburestaurants.com/melbourne/experience/introduction/

After brunch, I decided to bring James for a view of Melbourne from above, via the  Eureka Skydeck 88, where we had a quick look before heading back to the hotel's Skybar for more views, but with a drink in hand.

Over all, I was quite sad that the trip passed so quickly. Despite having been to Melbourne before, I wouldn't mind going back just for the food and hotel!

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Perth Visit 2013 (07/11 - 12/11)

Perth City, or also known as Dullsville to locals, was my home for four years of my life. The nickname came about as it is the most isolated major city in Australia - all the other major cities are on the East Coast! Ironically, I now miss Perth and find it less "dull" than Brisbane. I'm quite biased as I had an established social circle and my mother is there too. 

Whilst waiting for my visa to be granted earlier on this month, and being unemployed at the time, my mother thought it would be best if I could pop over to pack some of my belongings that I had left behind and also an excuse to catch up again. Also, what better than dear old Mummy sponsoring my entire trip! Spoilt brat

Tickets were soon bought after confirmation of Mummy's registered days off and the anticipation of actually going back to Perth brought me much joy and excitement - I got to see Mummy, friends & especially the food!

Virgin Airlines' Scrambled Eggs & Bacon breakfast option. Served with a small fruit salad & Raspberry muffin.

Day 1: On board Virgin Airlines by 8:50am and a 5 hour plus trip to Perth. Nearly sustained Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after killing time playing games on the worst console ever. After arrival, Mummy had a surprise - a friend of mine, Aaron came with her to surprise me! We then went to Old Cathay for lunch - had to order Nasi Lemak as the first dish as per usual. After lunch, we decided to stop by the Victoria Park Hotel, where I used to play Australian Poker League (APL) tournaments every Monday night, for a beer or two. After beer, we went back to where Mummy was living and dropped off my luggage. Then, Aaron and I went to the Fuse Bar for my long over-due game of poker after a year! Managed to sit tight and scrape my way through to final table. Along the way, APL had free goodies to give out via lucky draw. I won myself a Corona bucket and a pair of aqua blue sunnies! It was also a great time to meet up with Isaac (whom I've also known through poker).

I would probably class Nasi Lemak as my favourite dish. I could also probably eat this 3 times a day and still not get sick of it.

Jellyfish & Shredded Chicken Salad

My beloved Corona bucket which I had to give away due to the lack of space in my check-in luggage T_T

Me with my new sunnies!

Outside table at City Garden with Isaac

Some fucking Spicy Chilli Beef indeed. It nearly made me cry when I was dared to bite a bit off the dried chilli. Jesus, that was a stupid move.

My absolute favourite at this restaurant: Chilli & Garlic Pepper Pork Intestines. To those who cringe at eating innards, I've converted quite a few of my Western friends with this dish!

After poker, Aaron had to leave early and by that point, I've had quite a bit to drink. I convinced Isaac to go for supper at City Garden. After supper, he dropped me off. I had quite a late shower and crashed (this may seem irrelevant now, but it makes sense in Day 2).

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Day 2: Headed down to North Bridge again, for a traditional Chinese breakfast for champions: Dim sums! After a year being in Brisbane, I could not believe that one of my favourite Chinese restaurants for dim sum, had shut down. Disappointingly, Mummy and I headed down to Dragon Palace instead. Service was shit - slow, ignorant staff who seemed to treat Westerners better (couldn't believe we felt racism in an Asian restaurant wtf?).

Mummy's bored pose

Clockwise from bottom left: Siu-mai (pork dumplings), Har Gao (Prawn dumplings), Fung Zhao (Phoenix's Feet aka Chicken feet) and tripe.

After breakfast, Mummy and I decided to walk to the city for a look-around. Aaron's girlfriend, Phoebe, was also a friend of mine who is an amazing nail technician. She was surprisingly free, for a Friday afternoon and Mummy treated us both to have had our nails done. Here's a little Mesha FAQ: I love sparkly things, so non-bling/sparkly nails was not an option. I chose Aqua/Teal acrylic nails this time. Mummy chose a more subtle, but more classy, Silver glitter instead.

Phoebe working on Mummy's nails

Absolutely love my nails! Phoebe somehow made these nails so light, they almost feel like my own nails! 

After our nails were completely bling-ed up, we decided to go shopping around for my partner's one month belated birthday gift: A Phillip water-proof electric razor.

I was quite sad that I actually missed out on the annual Good Life Festival in Brisbane this year, which is like a Foodie's dream expo. Surprise, surprise! Perth had it's Twilight Hawker Market! Better than nothing, I suppose.

People, people everywhere!

One Mexican stall that caught our attention. It sold roasted corn with a combination of toppings. 

We ordered "Miss Piggy"to share, which consisted of pulled pork, salsa, grilled corn and we requested guacamole as an extra. Yummy & Healthy!

Mummy & I, overlooking the Twilight Hawker Market.

Mind you, "Miss Piggy" wasn't our dinner. Oh, no sir! That was just an appetizer between us! Since we had to head back to North Bridge anyways, I asked for some recommendations from Mummy. She brought me to this Chinese restaurants that sold offal dishes. It was one of the best mix pork innards (pig's ears, stomach and intestine) stir-fried in sambal! *in love*

zomfg! So good!

After dinner, Mummy and I headed back. I needed a good shower after spending all day in the CBD area. HOWEVER, much to my disgust, her landlord locked the bathroom door! How rude! Apparently, I woke him up when I had a shower the night before and this is like his "revenge/teaching us a lesson" for showering too late. The worst part is that he wasn't even sleeping in the master bedroom with his wife cause he snores worse than a Snorlax.

Literally, the walls shake and we could even hear him in the bedroom down the hall (which was probably why his wife asked him to move as they had a newborn). Seriously, wtf?

You do NOT lock the bathroom door. No bloody tenant is going to want to rent if they can't even take a shower whenever they like? What if they were a shift worker, like I was as a waitress and don't finish until late? By late, in this instance, was like 10:45pm. Urgh

Mummy and I resorted to wiping ourselves with a face towel that night.

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Day 3: Woke up and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. By the time we finished refreshing ourselves, Mummy took me to the new Hippo Creek branch in Karawarra for brunch. Instead of the sit-down, proper dining menu, we ordered from the bar menu instead. The "bar" food there was bloody amazing and pretty darn cheap for the amount of food we ordered. The appetizers, we had the choice of 3 for $38, so we ordered 1/2 dozen natural oysters, 1/2 dozen Kilpatrick & Buffulo Wings with blue cheese dipping sauce. On top of that, we ordered a pizza and I had a pint of cider to myself. Boy, were we stuffed!

Au naturale oysters

Pizza & Buffulo Wings

After this late lunch, we wandered round to Carousel shopping centre to kill some time before meeting up with D'Arcy at Malaysian Delight, for obviously more food.

Le Mr. Know-It-All

After dinner, they wanted to show me the new Perth casino. It was no longer known as the Burswood casino as the famous Melbourne Crown casino took over and turned it into another Crown casino! To be honest, I was skeptical about the change and so-called renovations, thinking, how much would there be to change.

Boy, oh, boy, was I wrong.

The new Crown Perth casino is... is... omg! Totally revamped, inside and out! There was firstly, more parking and they've also created an easier access to the casino from either ends. The interior of the casino decorated with gold-related decor and it simply looked fancier and obviously much newer. Floor space was also extended, so noobs can get quite lost in there. Pokies machine galore and so many more new tables with even $5 Black Jack tables. WTF?! From a mediocre casino, Crown has turned Burswood into one of the best I've seen in Australia! (Brisbane's Treasury Casino is shit in comparison now, but news of renovation to Treasury has been going around).

D'Arcy and Mummy was lucky that night, making quite a profit. Mummy, turned $25AUD + $5AUD (contributed by D'Arcy) into a whopping $300AUD. By a pokies machine. Lucky biatches. On the bright side, Mummy decided to share the good fortune with me by giving me $100AUD as pocket-money. Definitely a spoilt brat now.

After the casino, we went home and after the same wiping-body ritual we had the night before, we soon crashed into deep slumber.
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Day 4: It was finally a day to actually sort through the crap I had left behind. Surprisingly, I thought I had two boxes full, but instead, it seemed like most of my things had disappeared, including my uni assignments, much to my despair (I had a few assignments that I had lost the soft copy and needed the printed version. Wanted it as a contribution to my portfolio, but all is gone FML). After sorting and packing, we caught up with Dominic, again at Malaysian Delight.

Can you guess what I ordered?

YESH. More Nasi Lemak! :D

Then, there's Mr. Supposedly-Shy, Dominic

Who told us to take this awful photo of us! 

After lunch with Dominic, I had to rush off and drop my sorted belongings home before Mummy had to drop me off in the city to meet up with Omar and Dawson for dinner. I was happy when we all agreed to go to Sinabro, as it is one of my favourite Korean BBQ restaurant.

This is how much food we had ordered between the 3 of us wtf. Notice the bottom right corner.

We ordered so much, there wasn't enough room on the table!

Happy times.
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Day 5: Last day in Perth. Spent the morning arranging and packing my luggage. Went to the city again as I had a slight problem with my nails. Had lunch prior to fixing my nails at Nao Japanese Restaurant. Saw Phoebe. Fixed my nails. Done. Caught up with Elizabeth for coffee and then some alcoholic drinks.

Spicy Ramen with charsiu

The lovely English lady, sipping her latte.

Just the two of us

After catching up with Elizabeth, Mummy and I realized how long it has been since we actually went to Miss Maud's for their smorgasbord! It is not exactly the fanciest/best buffet I've been to, but somehow Miss Maud's have left quite a few good memories and I enjoy the selection & quality of the food served at the buffet. We had also invited Aaron & Phoebe for dinner.

Group photo! <3

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Day 6: Had an early morning flight back to Brisbane. I couldn't believe how fast 5 days can slip right past you, especially when you're having fun.

Mother & Daughter selfie

I definitely do miss Perth, especially now, with renovations and the introduction of more restaurants and shops. What made Perth so important to me, despite it being Dullsville, is the experiences I've had living there - I started and finished university, made many friends (a huge transition from being the unpopular kid in high school into developing lasting friendships), experiences with the opposite sex, introduction to alcohol and so many more important aspects of my life.

Most of all, I miss my mother! :(

Fat Noodle Restaurant Review- Brisbane Treasury Casino & Hotel

Another restaurant review which has been held back for a while is the Fat Noodle Restaurant at the Treasury Casino, Brisbane. Personally, I feel that this restaurant has been overlooked and is very much worthy of a visit and has easily gained a spot in one of top Asian restaurants I love in Brisbane, which is unsurprising as it is the brain-child of Luke Nguyen.

Fairly quaint restaurant, and surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon.

I've only noticed it this time round, I this is what makes the Fat Noodle, quaint. Do you see it?

No? They've hung hundreds of orange chopsticks and big woks!! XD

Upon arrival, we were greeted with friendly staff and since it was fairly quiet, we were able to choose where we wanted to sit and chose a table nearest to a window for view and optimal lighting for my photos! :) Within a couple of minutes, they brought us a pot of complimentary jasmine tea in a funky iron cast (I think it's iron cast or simply some stupidly heavy metal) teapot.

Small but heavy!

Someone is checking out his tea.

Me, happy to have lunch out on a Saturday!

Table-mat aka the menu.

This time round, I opted for the Hainanese Chicken Rice as I wanted a simple, light meal and James ordered the Fat Pho Noodles. Prior to ordering our food, we ordered beer! Definitely a Saturday pre-meal drink and what could be better than ice-cold draught beer?!

He is definitely looking happier with pints of beer!

My dish arrived first (simply cause it's chicken rice, and for chicken rice lovers, you know how fast they plate it up!) within minutes of ordering! Talk about prompt service! And James' came within a couple of minutes apart.

My awesome Hainanese Chicken Rice! Definitely one of the best presented chicken rice dish I've seen in like forever. 

As a sworn Hainanese Chicken Rice lover, I am impressed with the standard! The rice is nice and fragrant, with deep-fried, crunchy shallots on top. The chicken broth (as boring and plain as it looks) is surprisingly rich with chicken flavour. The only one thing that is a bit untraditional is the slight drizzle of kicap manis (sweetened, thick soy sauce) on the chicken and veggies. The chilli sauce and garlic paste was also awesome on its own but definitely enhanced the flavour of the dish (though the chilli sauce could have been a bit more sour than sweet, but hey, I am definitely not complaining too much about the chilli sauce! It's awesome!).

Chickennnn! The more I stare that this photo whilst writing this post, the hungrier I get. Stop salivating all over the keyboard, dammnit!

I'm a sauce-girl. No food is good without a good sauce! Now, stare at the garlic paste.

I must be so Asian right now - actually have a close-up photo of the rice wtf

Rich, beefy goodness of the pho! Pho power!! Out of all the pho places I've visited in Brisbane, this one is the best!

I love this restaurant and every time I've been there, their food standard still wows me. It is also surprisingly affordable (I still somehow associate high prices with casino restaurants). The chicken rice is $16AUD whilst the beef pho is $18AUD.

Another random reason I deem this place highly worthy, despite the somewhat low ratings on Urbanspoon, is the quality of the congee/porridge. Holy fudge, it's fucking awesome! On our first visit to the Fat Noodle, James ordered the seafood congee and I had seriously doubted the quality until I took a mouthful and declared to the world that I haven't found a congee/porridge anywhere I've been to in Australia that good! Okay, most Asians are biased when it comes to congee. Some like it watery with huge chunky bits of meat, but I like mine like the one served here! Thick, rich with flavour (seafood) and filled with fish, and other seafood. Huge thumbs up!

We had also tried the Chicken Pad Thai and Roasted Duck on other occasions and it was all good (I remembered the duck being slightly dry, but overall, the food is yummy!). I also went another time with an ex-friend of mine and she had the Caramelized Pork Ribs with Egg - it was wholly flavoursome but I found it a tad bit too sweet.

Verdict time!

• Presentation: 4.2/5 (Nicely presented but obviously not to a fine-dining standard; Good)
• Food/Taste: 4.5/5 (Awesome but I see an inconsistency in some of the dishes I ordered in the past. Fantastic nonetheless!)
• Service: 5/5 (Absolutely felt like I was sitting in a fancy, upper-class fine dining restaurant! Everything was quick and smooth.)
• Monetary value: 4.5/5 (I think it is uber awesome to get fantastic food without breaking the wallet)

Overall, I would definitely give it a 4.5/5! Fat Noodle, you've got me as a regular!

Asian Chow-time at:
Fat Noodle
130 William Street (Treasury Casno & Hotel)
Brisbane, Queensland 4007, Australia
(P): 07 3306 8888
(W): http://www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/Dining/Pages/Fat-Noodle-.aspx