Sydney Eats: Garden Buffet at The Star Casino

To close my 2014 Australia posts... Christmas dinner!  As I've previously mentioned, the family had dinner plans at The Star Casino's Garden Buffet.  I've been to Las Vegas and I've been to Macau in my years of travelling, so I know that when you say buffet at the casino, this means great overflowing delicious food.  And it being Christmas day dinner, surely they would've prepared something special for all the diners that day.  There was only excitement as I counted down the hours till we're seated and ready to eat!  Glutton much?  LOL!

Here it goes:  

Breads

Soups

Cheeses

Salads

Shells and Mussels

Squid and Clams

Shrimps and more shells

Chinese Congee

Pizza

Pasta

Mains

Fish and Chips/Chicken Wings

Turkey!

Roast Beef

Ham

More mains

Roasting

Chinese

Chinese Mains

Grilled Vegetables

Fruits

Snow Cones

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Chocolate Fountain

Candy Bar

Desserts

Some more desserts

And more!

Unlimited sodas

Coffee

I'm not even going to bother doing a small commentary on each photo.  Because to say that the buffet was underwhelming would be an huge understatement.  It was downright BAD!  And to think that this was during Christmas day dinner and we paid something around AUD 80++, which would already be equivalent to a nice hotel dinner here in Manila.  The selection of food was not that plenty either.  I'm not one to give up on buffets, but I gave up on this one after only two plates.  They couldn't even get a simple dish like fish and chips right.  What a downer.  0 out of 5 stars.  

Garden Buffet is at The Star Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

Sydney Eats: Din Tai Fung

When Dad announced that we were spending Christmas in Australia, everyone was ecstatic.  Well... big mistake.  While spending Christmas SEASON there was nice, spending Christmas DAY itself was not.  Why?  Because nothing was open, that's why!  So we had no choice but to find something that was open for sure.  It was a toss up between finding a hotel or spending it in a casino.  Guess which one won?  Well, the casino did.  We figured there was nothing much to do after eating in a hotel, so might as well spend it in the casino, where there's a bit more to do.

On Christmas day, the whole family trooped over to The Star Casino.  Since we had dinner plans at a buffet restaurant there, we chose something light for lunch.  And if the task of choosing were in my parents' hands, then you betcha they're going for Chinese.  Yes.  Chinese.  Again.  Din Tai Fung, here we come!

I've written about Din Tai Fung before, having tried it in Hong Kong.  Also got to try it in Taiwan and in Singapore, so yes, I'm no Din Tai Fung newbie.  So before we even started ordering, I already knew what I'm having!

Din Tai Fung at The Star

But unlike other Din Tai Fung outlets we've tried in other countries, Din Tai Fung at The Star Casino is just part of their foodcourt.  No biggie.  I'm not one to discriminate against foodcourt eats.  In fact, some of the best meals I've had came from the foodcourt!

Steamed Pork Dumpling

Not as tasty as the one I'm accustomed to.

Crab Meat and Roe with Pork Dumpling

Err... not as good either.

Dan Dan Noodle (Peanut Sauce)

Nope, not impressed.

Fried Pork Chop

Edible, but nothing special.

Egg Fried Rice with Green Bean and Minced Pork 

And finally, they got one thing right.  The egg fried rice!  Geez, how I wished we just ordered one cup each and be done with it.  Green beans were not bad either.

The verdict?  1 out of 5 stars.  Why, Din Tai Fung, why???  Next time, I'll be sure to just eat this restaurant on an Asian country.  I don't mean to discriminate, but really, Din Tai Fung just tastes way better in other countries.  Oh and from what I've heard, they're coming to Manila this year!  Fingers crossed that they'll be able to replicate the original and surpass the other leading xiao long bao restaurants that are already established and well known here.  

Din Tai Fung is at The Star Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

Sydney Eats: Emperor's Garden Restaurant

After three days in Melbourne (so short, I know!), we arrived in Sydney.  And the first thing on my Dad's mind?  Chinese food!!!  If you've read about my post about Emperor's Garden Restaurant last 2013, then good for you!  Haha, I'm kidding.  Being no stranger to this restaurant, my Dad chose this one as our first meal in Sydney.  Us kids, who are not much of a fan of Chinese restaurants, had no choice because the boss said so.  Ok, I'm kidding again.  We actually love this one because the food is absolutely fantastic!  Let's get going, shall we?  

Fresh Steamed Abalone

Chewy, but a little on the tough side.  But fresh abalone can never be compared to the canned ones, it will always be tougher.

Stir-fried Scallops with Egg White

Our favorite!  Even though we did not enjoy it that much last year, I made sure we ordered this one and just tell the server not to add too much flour with the eggs.  The result?  Almost got into a fistfight with my Brother.  LOL.  But yes, it was THAT good.  I am always amazed as to how huge their scallops are!

Honey King Prawns

This was truly unforgettable last year.  And this time around?  STILL AS GOOD!  Prawns were big and juicy!  An absolute must!

Fried Rice with Diced Scallops and Vegetables with Egg White

Still good.  So good that someone who does not eat rice actually ate more than a bowl of it!  (hello, Brother!)

Stir-fried Diced Fillet Steak with Japanese Style Raddish

Extremely tender.  Japanese-Style Raddish = Wasabi.  The addition of wasabi added a nice kick to an otherwise normal dish.

Nobler Barbecued Pork Spare Ribs

Melts in your mouth.  Or rather, MY mouth.  Bwahahahaha!

Stir Fried Beancurds with Assorted Mushrooms

The stir-fried beancurds were silky soft.  Almost felt like eating chawan mushi (Japanese steamed egg).

As if that's not enough, we went back for another round of Emperor's Garden Restaurant on our last night in Sydney!  We ordered a bit of the same dishes, and added some other new dishes too.  Other dishes are as follows:

Goose Web with Sea Cucumber in Pot

Not too impressed with the goose web.  It was tough bite.  I've had really soft and almost fall off the bone goose web before, so this one did not impress me at all.

Stir-fried Sliced Mini Abalone with XO Sauce

The sliced version was way better than the whole one.  Still chewy, but easier to bite into.

Pan-fried Wagyu Fillet

We found out about the wagyu fillet just as we were about the finish dinner the first time around this trip.  So Mom made sure to order this one when we went back.

Wagyu Fillet.  Look at that color!

I wish I could tell you that it tasted as good as it looked, but it did not.  Lacked the melt-in-your mouth goodness of wagyu.  For me, the best wagyu award still goes to Japan.

So the verdict?  We had a better meal the first night.  The second time around was not bad either, but paled in comparison to the first.  If we're talking about just the first night, then I'd give them 5 out of 5 stars.  But if you include the second night, then I guess it'd have to be 4 out of 5.  Next time, I'll go back for all those tried and tested ones and just stick to that!

Emperor's Garden Restaurant is at 100 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia

Sydney Eats: Hurricane's Grill

...and I saved the best for last!  It's been quite a long time since my last post, sorry!  Since it's the holiday season, been quite busy with work-related stuff.  BUT, I hope I can make up for it with this post!  Hurricane's Grill:  our last dinner in Sydney, and Brother's amazing discovery.

First off:  a little back story.  during our countless searches for great restaurants in Sydney, Brother came across Hurricane's Grill.  He mentioned that the reviews were pretty good, so a few days before, we've already decided to go there for dinner.  But in those few days, we were nowhere near the area so we had to dine somewhere else.  Finally, on the last day, we had a bit of time in our hands.  We needed to eat someplace close since we'll be heading back to the hotel early to pack up our luggage (boo!) and Harbourside Shopping Center, where Hurricane's Grill is situated, is very near where we're staying.  Yay!

Here's what we had:

Salt & Pepper Calamari

Char-Grilled Chicken Salad

Fillet of Tenderloin with Baked Potato and Mushroom Sauce

Pork Riblets

Oh. My. Goodness.  The pork riblets were the best ribs we've ever tasted in our lives!  Notice the plural form "we've" and "our"?  Yup, all four of us agreed they are simply the best!  Extra tender, fall-off-the-bone pieces with lip smacking barbecue sauce.  I tell you, you'll never go wrong with this one.  The other dishes were pretty good too.  The tenderloin is also soft and juicy.  I particularly loved the mushroom sauce; you'll taste the mushroom in every drop!  Calamari is also soft, but I find it a tad too salty.  Salad was pretty fresh too!  See?  I have no bad things to say about Hurricane's Grill.  Every single thing is Y-U-M-M-Y!  5 out of 5 stars!  And yes, I will definitely be back.

So boys and girls, here's the final entry for this year's Sydney vacation.  I hope you liked it!  Never expected I'd say this, but yes, I've fallen in love with Sydney.  The place, the people, the shopping and the food are all fantastic.  Can't wait to go back and see the rest of Australia!  Maybe next year?  Cross fingers! :)

Hurricane's Grill is at Shop 433-436, Level 2, Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney Australia