Chaco Bar, Kings Cross

It’s been more than three months since I’ve had my heartbroken by someone I continue (note the present tense here) to be inspired by and think so highly of. There’s not a day that goes past that I struggle to let go of the humiliation of how it ended, the loss of trust that was previously rock solid and the loss of a future that I really believed and wished had come true.

But I truly believe that these broken pieces fits in a greater plan for good, and that’s something I’m starting to see as I commence 2020 with a heart more humbled and aligned to God’s plan for me in this world. But i’ll admit it’s been and continues to be a slow process to accept and embrace my emotional scars (did I not mention I’m a deeply flawed individual?), and to trust in the Holy Spirit’s power to glue these different elements together and make it beautiful. In Kintsgui art, broken pottery pieces are carved or refined into beautiful curves, and then filled with gold to create a new form of art.

I thought about this idea more and it changed how I viewed modern cuisine (when done well…I’m looking at you China Doll!!). By logic, it is impossible to replicate traditional recipes here as the ingredients may not be available, different cooking environment and our taste palettes are just different (I definitely felt this as a second get Vietnamese Australian in Vietnam). But if you really care and if you really respect the recipe and the culture attached to it, you’ll try and breathe new air and transform it to something completely anew (and so, cannot be compared to the original). The “broken-ness” of the traditional elements are still there, but it’s not what makes it valuable; rather the modern techniques and new taste palettes that make it a golden dish.

This may be all too high level. That being said, enjoy my review below!

Chaco Bar, Kings Cross

Google’s description of this restaurant usually would be a red flag: Hip, bustling place with Japanese characters on the walls, serving up sake, yakitori and ramen. But another perspective is that this isn’t trying to be a Japanese restaurant – that is, replicating the menu, atmosphere or decor of restaurants back in Japan.

In 2019, Chaco bar moved from its original Darlinghurst location to bigger premise in Potts Point. This is important to note, as if you want ramen, you’re going to only find it in Darlinghurst. My failure to look up this fact meant I was in for yakitori (which ended up being better!).

While it’s bigger premise, I’d recommend to book beforehand. There are a few different seating options – smaller tables (2-4ppl), intimate communal tables and the best seat in the house: watching the chefs grill at the bar. I was still fortunate to get a seat on the communal table, despite being a walk-in (it was with the condition that we’d eat in an hour). What I didn’t fully appreciate was being watched down by the restaurant manager through the separating window when my time was nearly up.

But let’s talk about what’s important here – Yaki-tori. I’ve never been to Japan but I assume this is a street-food kind of dish. But remember, we can’t compare experiences. The meat is crisp, so not soaking in oil, and flavoursome (not mistaken as salty). Soft Bone/ Cartilage was a bit chewy texture that took a few seconds to adapt to. Pork Belly is always a solid choice for me. But I do hear ‘CHACO SIX SKEWERS’ (Chicken Crackling, Heart, Hanger, Thigh / Pork Belly / Lamb Shoulder) selection is always great for newcomers.

I’m a big fan of the Japanese Wagyu beef, and you should too (if you eat beef).  The Wagyu Steak & Bone Marrow, pickled shiitake w/ house mustard ($36) is a solid dish, the wagyu melting in your mouth. The bone marrow is a bit fatty so maybe avoid this dish if you’re trying to eat lean. The mustard is pretty tasteless in my opinion but sometimes that’s good thing to appreciate the earthiness of the beef.

All in all – Chaco bar was an amazing experience taste-wise and appreciated the refining of the craft in a modern way. I was gutted though about the ramen but can’t win them all.

Chaco Bar
Facebook| Website
186-188 Victoria St, Potts Point NSW 2010
P: (02) 8593 4567 (Bookings Recommended!)

 

Three things I loved about my Singapore/VN trip

I actually write this post in a really weird point in my life, since having some space to think, rest and pray more. I’ve now accepted that this year was really hard to cope because it wasn’t the year I was expecting.  I feel I’ve become a shell of who I usually am and that’s probably being the most disappointing thing next to disappointing others (based on my very high expectations I hold myself to). But in light of that, I’m thankful to know and remain in awe of a gracious and loving God that provides me the wisdom, in light of the gospel truth, to then grow and have the spiritual discernment to make healthier decisions moving forward.

So moving forward, I thought to share a little bit about me, beyond being a stress-head, in the form of recounting three key highlights of my lil trip 🙂

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1.Exploring

One of the reasons I wanted to go overseas on my own was the need to re-charge; but also because I knew how I liked to travel. My approach to travel is to travel with a humble attitude in another person’s country and to just listen and understand what they have to say. The best way I can listen to learn is spending time 1:1 – in this case, me and exploring a country.

 

One of my favourite things about Singapore was how my initial expectation (incorrectly shaped by Crazy Rich Asians) unraveled the more I listened and looked. Something I learnt from the walking tours from both Chinatown and Kampong Glam (mainly Malay-Muslim quarter) was how intentional Singapore’s policies were (that is, it was rooted in providing jobs and housing for its citizens). So things such as the infamous Orchard Road ~$1 Icecreams are actually a government initiative to help those who would have been homeless to have a steady income. Considering Orchid Road is notorious to be a tourist hotspot and $$$, that is a sweet deal!

 

I also really enjoyed witnessing the influence of globalisation in Vietnam. There was one day I spent in a local community on an island, and then at night I was at a bar where everyone was going wild over Lady Gaga and other major pop/rock throwback songs. If I told people I was into radio music in Aus, I’d be called basic. In Vietnam, it’s their indie. So wild I love it.

 

2. Food

I have a reputation for having a strong opinion on modern and/or fusion food. The thinking behind that is because I’ve witnessed the re-appropriation of particular dishes without respecting the cultural significance reduces it to be a marketing tool e.g pho burrito.

That being said – I have had many positive experiences with modern eastern cuisine. In Singapore, one of my favourite dishes that I walked over 20 minutes was for The Coconut Club’s Nasi Lemak. Textually amazing (that chicken!) and super tasty, I could have got this $15 dish for $3 at the Hawker Centre next store. But what I liked about it was they didn’t try to re-invent it – more enhance what is already a stellar dish. But I mean, hawker food is already stellar – Hainanese Chicken Rice you have my heart!

 

When I was in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, I ate a lot of Hu Tieu – a pork bone soup broth served with noodles. Actually when I think about it, vietnamese cuisine as a whole has adapted surrounding flavours and made the dishes their own e.g Banh Mi Rolls.

 

I like this recap that I found online on Hu Tieu (Nam Vang):

Hu tieu originally comes from kuy teav, and in its simplest and purest form, is a soup, normally made with pork bones, and served with a variety of different types of noodles. Nam Vang is the Vietnamese word for Phnom Penh, the largest and capital city of Cambodia.

Together Hu Tieu Nam Vang translates to Phnom Penh Chinese noodle soup, a dish that has roots in both Cambodian and Chinese flavors, yet it’s incredibly popular in southern Vietnam. (Source migrationology).

3. Coffee

I’ve come to realise that i’m actually so useless without coffee. Coming from Surry Hills coffee land, I decided to keep it old school (also because I was pretty broke) and go for Singapore’s Kopi O and Vietnam’s Ca Phe Sua Dai (Iced coffee with condensed milk). I literally had these every single morning.

 

 

Ultimately, I’ve fallen in love with Singapore and Vietnam and do hope to travel there again, albeit to different areas. Any reccos, let me know!

– Jess

My Mother’s Guide to Cabramatta

I’ve known for a few months that my mum turned down a university offer to “have me”. A few decades later, I find myself about to attend my graduation ceremony. And people may say, well my “success” is hers too. It’s a nice sounding sentiment. But for me, those comments are a very surface-level way to describe what has been a very bipolar twenty-two year relationship.

Top 7 food moments – US edition

It’s been nearly two weeks since my return and I still can’t fathom an appropriate response to “How was US?”. I tend to put a lot of emotional baggage on my memories, so it’s quite difficult to concisely articulate how “amazing” the trip was, when it doesn’t seem like the right word to use. That’s part of the reason why I love food – not only because of the taste, but the context that lies behind the dish, the cuisine, the people who cooked the dish and the people I share that same dish with.

Kaffir Lime Thai & Lao Cuisine, Cabramatta

When I was fourteen, I thought I was really close with my friend Tanya. We would write essay-long emails to each other over multiple summer holidays. We would talk about really trivial things like assignments  as well as our “hopes and dreams” (she was going to become a doctor and I was going to become CEO or something). But I distinctively remember Tanya always being really open with her faith in Jesus to me. At the time, I was a bit of a self-absorbed dumbo, and so I never really took her words very seriously.

Staying sane in an insane world

The past month has been really difficult. But I thank God for it. 

The Q on Harris, Pyrmont

I’m trying to love more selflessly.

Yasaka Ramen, Sydney CBD

I’ve always been one of those “I never get sick” type of people.

I mean I eat without thinking, I don’t sleep much and the definition of coffee has been lost on me since the day uni started. It’s funny though – I spend so much time always thinking, being so careful or so strategic in how I maximise my potential or how to maximise my schedule, that I could be so careless with my health. Well God likes to remind me that I can’t win it all – especially during exam time.

Haven Tailoring Coffee, Surry Hills

One of the most confronting things that has happened to me this week was watching my mental construct of a person pretty much fall apart. When we talk about how first impressions are important – whether by a chance encounter, or someone who has been in your life as long as you can remember – we tend to paint them with the same brush. To extend on that analogy, to paint the most ‘true’ portrait of a person, the paint brush needs to be rinsed, or different colours or brush techniques need to be used.

Circa, Parramatta

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

My pastor asked me this at church last Sunday. Without hesitation, I told him what I felt was placed on my heart.

One of the best things in 2017 (and there were many!) was I had many brilliant people planted into my life in a time where life threw multiple obstacles. One of the worst things in 2017 was my inability to move on and let go of the consequence of some very bad decisions, even those made many moons ago.