Spice Market, Double Bay (25 April 2017)

340 New South Head Road, Double Bay NSW 2028
http://www.spicemarket.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/anthspicemarketdoublebay/

Thai takeaway in Double Bay

Lazy dinner sorted with a first time Thai takeaway from Spice Market. Fish Cake ($3) was a good choice with lots of flavour in these rustic presumably house made entrees. Curry Puff ($2) had nice flakey pastry and decent flavoured filling. Prawn Crackers with Peanut Sauce ($5) were a great one to share with a noticeably spicy flavour to keep the tastebuds entertained and wanting more. They remind me of the prawn crackers I used to get at the KB Hotel many years ago. Chicken Red Curry ($15) was pretty good with quite a creamy style sauce best matched with some Steamed Rice ($2.50). I've had takeaway curries from other places where they cling wrap the container for safer delivery which might be worth considering here. Prawn dishes were unfortunately hitting the $25 mark due to the prawn wholesale cost price increase that's been hitting Sydney. Service was friendly enough. There's some seating inside amongst the simple decor although it looks more like a place for takeaway. 

The Carter Sydney, CBD Sydney (24 Feb 2017)

16 O'Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000
https://www.facebook.com/thecartersydney/
https://www.instagram.com/thecarter_syd/

New bar in town

“The Carter is a art deco heritage listed venue located in the heart of Sydney's CBD with 3 bars and 2 restaurants over 3 levels. Formerly home to BANK OF NSW & now the carter with a middle eastern menu suited for our main bar and a american soul food menu in the basement.”

I remember when this used to be the Bavarian Bier Cafe and after that was Swine & Co. Now The Carter has emerged. Let's hope it can make this heritage venue work with its extensive use of gold coloured scaffolding that makes it look like a construction site come night club come pole dancing studio. There's ample seating around the bar and cosier sections upstairs on your way to the toilets which are noticeably small and squishy in comparison to the vast bar space. Tried the cocktail 'Thief in the Night' - Thyme & Citrus Infused Absolut La Poire, Littet Blanc Aperitif, Citrus ($23). It's a pricey one and the citrus flavour is pretty intense for me with nothing in the mix to balance so wasn't quite to my liking and wouldn't order again. I'm thinking I should have stuck to my usual negroni although I do like the sound of the Pistachio Espresso Martini so might hit that one up next time. Complimentary prawn crackers were distributed around the tables at the time which were well appreciated. Freshly fried and seasoned they were a real treat. Hopefully they'll keep providing these for patrons. A good way to keep them thirsty to order more drinks me thinks. Service was friendly and it's hard not to love the grand high ceiling in this place. The Middle Eastern menu looks good and seems reasonably priced as well for a casual feed.

Laksa King: Laksa in Melbourne, Flemington VIC (30 April 2010)

Shop 3, 320 Racecourse Road, Flemington VIC 3031

Now moved to: 6-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031

Searching for the best laksa

So where does one go for the best laksa in Melbourne?

For some of the best laksa in Sydney I usually recommend Malay-Chinese Takeaway as a first port of call but when it comes to Melbourne I'm at a total loss where to start. Adrian from Food Rehab commented Laksa King in Flemington as a recommendation for me and Urbanspoon lists it in their top 10 Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne and has better reviews than Laksa Me. When I visited in April they were in the process of moving to a new location around the block and have since completed the move. A very large bowl Prawn crackers ($3) is great value and can easily be shared amongst 4 people to share the love and fat. The generous sized Seafood Curry Laksa ($11.80) comes with ample pieces of king prawn, mussel, calamari and fishcake and has decent depth of flavour although is more curry tasting than Malay-Chinese. It's unusual to find eggplant in the laksa but I quite enjoy its soft texture and how it soaks up the flavour. My Har Mee ($9.90) comes with decent sized prawns and plenty of fishcake slices although I prefer the broth intensity at Malay-Chinese which also comes with slices of pork and crispy pork fat on top. Service was fairly quick, seating is simple and prices fairly reasonable for the serving size.

Review of Laksa King at new location:

• Jeroxie

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Plenty of laksa choices, New location sounds much nicer, Fairly reasonably priced

CONS: Queues when busy

MUST TRY: Finding the best Laksa and Malaysian eatery in Melbourne

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Prawn crackers ($3)

Seafood Curry Laksa: Mixed noodle with king prawn, mussel, calamari and fishcake ($11.80)

Eggplant in the seafood curry laksa

Har Mee: Yellow noodle with prawn, fishcake and egg ($9.90)

Menu

Inside seating

Arcade seating and shop front

Racecourse Road location entrance

New location

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