John West Tuna Pasta Salad (Product Review)

Ads work. Lately popping up around my area are ads for John West's new range of tuna pasta salads.
The ad promotes this product as "The Ultimate Power Lunch". Given that they put "lunch" in the ad, I was expecting a decent sized portion that would actually fill me up. How disappointed I was (and I'm not a very big eater) when I saw the actual product. It was tiny! Despite the size I still wanted to try it. The pasta range comes in three flavours: Italian style, Mexican salsa and balsamic dressing. I got the Mexican salsa since it has the least sugar (2.7 g).

It's a good idea that a spork was included for eating on the go. BUT and this is a big but, the spork was pathetically small! I could barely fork anything with it and when I tried to use it as a spoon, it could only hold one piece of pasta with each spoonful. I had a feeling the spork wouldn't be great so I came prepared with my own fork. 

The appearance of the pasta wasn't appealing either. It was very shiny suggesting that the whole meal is doused in oil. This was confirmed with my first mouthful. It coated my entire my mouth with oil - not a very nice feeling. Also the pasta was overly soft adding a mushy feel to the oiliness.  

Pathetically small spork

Shiny pasta

Out of the negatives, there were a few positives. There were some pretty big chunks of tuna and a good amount of corn and kidney beans. The flavour was good too with a mild chilli kick.

Tuna chunk

But overall, it wasn't a very pleasant meal. It's too small to eat on its own and look at all the oil that was leftover! 

Very very oily

In terms of nutrition, there is a good fibre content (4.9 g) and it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and cardiovascular benefits. But in my opinion, there are much better ways of getting your serve of omega-3.

Fish and seafood are great but its better to cook them yourself than buying prepacked meals. Other sources include walnuts, flaxseeds, soybeans and dark leafy green vegetables.    

I didn't like this product. The serving size was small and left a bad mouth-feel. I definitely won't be buying this again or trying the other flavours.

Ukizo, Lidcombe

There are many Korean restaurants in Lidcombe, but amongst them are restaurants of other cuisines like this little Japanese restaurant located on Bridge St. The restaurant is owned by Koreans but as long as the food is good it doesn't matter.

This is my third time coming here. I forgot to bring my phone the first two times so I can't show you how nicely everything is plated here. They have quite an extensive menu including katsu sets, noodles (udon, ramen and soba), bentos, sushi rolls and various entrees.

First Visit
On my first visit to Ukizo, we ordered a teriyaki salmon bento ($19.80) and a mixed tempura (3 prawns, 7 vegetables) ($16.50). I love bentos with little servings of many different sides. The sides in this bento included salmon sashimi, 2 pieces of fruit, a seaweed salad, a selection fried entrees (vegetable spring roll, crab claw, takoyaki, and a fried corn and fish paste nugget), miso soup and a garden salad. It was beautifully presented in a round bento box similar to those used at Miso, however, it terms of taste it wasn't quite as similar. The salmon and rice itself was good with 4 pieces of decent sized salmon (cooked) glazed in teriyaki sauce. The let down were the fried entrees - they were more soggy than crunchy. They reminded of those frozen seafood cocktails that you buy and fry at home.

The mixed tempura was better. The batter was light and crunchy and the prawns were springy. However when they say 7 vegetables they mean 6 pieces of sweet potato and one piece of melon.

Even though this place wasn't outstanding I wanted to come back to try their other dishes.

Second Visit 
Second time here, they may have had a change in management. The waitresses were different and there was more decor. This time I think we were served by the owner herself, a middle-aged Korean lady. She was very attentive and helpful in explaining what some of the dishes were. This time we ordered two of their donburis - oyako and tonkatsu ($15.60 each). As with my first visit, the donburis was plated very nicely. My oyako don had soft scrambled eggs with pan fried chicken pieces and caramelised onions accompanied by some lettuce and shreds of purple radish and picked ginger. The chicken was soft and moist and the entire dish itself felt very homely. The miso on the side further enhanced the warm, cosy feeling.

The tonkatsu don was similar to the oyako don but had a piece of fried pork loin instead. It may have been the egg but the tonkatsu was left rather soft and lacked the usual crunch.

Third Visit

Now, to my most recent visit. After ticking the bento and donburi off my to-try list, I had my eyes set on the sushi rolls.

I loved grilled salmon so its only natural I order the grilled salmon roll ($15). It was huge! Stuffed with copious amounts of crab stick meat, avocado and cucumber and topped with the star of the dish, a piece of grilled salmon. Just one small thing with this dish - the seaweed was slightly chewy and difficult to bite apart making it a little messy to eat.

Grilled salmon roll

As long as I had my grilled salmon, I was happy. My mum and sister also ordered agedashi tofu ($7), edamame ($6), and a teriyaki chicken donburi ($15.60). The agedashi tofu was not the best that I have had. The tofu could have been smoother but the taste was still good.

Agedashi tofu and edamame

I was pretty full by the time I got to the donburi but I still tried a little bit. It had good flavour and I liked how the rice was also mixed with teriyaki sauce. There were slices of carrot, onions and zucchini with the chicken as well (vegetables in a dish are always a bonus for me).

Teriyaki chicken donburi

Ukizo is a small but welcoming restaurant. The food comes out quickly and is good overall. The prices edge towards the pricey side but considering the portions it is decent.

Recipe: Omurice

Fried rice is one of those dishes that every Asian seems to know how to make. It's easy, quick and versatile. Omurice is a Japanese style dish of fried rice wrapped in an omelette. There aren't many places around Sydney that serve omurice and some that do don't make it that well. From reading recipes online it seemed pretty straightforward so I decided to make it myself.

There wasn't really much cooking involved this time since I used leftover rice and store bought roast chicken. I would've liked it if I added a bit more mixed vegetables but I underestimated how much rice there was. There's always a pack of frozen mixed vegetables in my freezer for the convenience and those lazy days when I feel like having vegetables but don't want to wash, chop and cook.

The recipe has a higher vegetable to rice ratio than what is in the photos. I have also tried this using brown rice. It will taste the same but the rice may be a little chewier.

Ingredients (4 serves) 

• 4 cups cooked rice 
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tsp ginger finely cut 
• 2 cups mixed vegetables 
• 1 cup roast chicken 
• 2 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 tbs soy sauce 
• 4 eggs 
• 4 tbs milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

On medium-high heat saute the onions and ginger until the onions start to brown. Add in the rice and heat with occasional mixing for 3 minutes to allow the rice to dry off a little. 

 Mix in the vegetables and roast chicken. Turn the heat down to medium and add the tomato sauce and soy sauce. Mix well until all of the rice is coated in sauce.

Set the rice aside in a bowl. Wipe the pan clean to cook the egg. Cook the eggs one at a time with 1 tbs of milk for each egg. On medium-low heat pour in the egg mixture and cook until the base is set but the top is still runny. Add in a quarter of the rice to one side of the omelette and fold the other side over. 

If you are unable to fold the egg in the pan, slide the unfolded egg and rice onto your plate and then fold it with your hands. 

Serve with your choice of vegetables. 

Recipe: Tuna Penne Pasta with Scrambled Egg

Sometimes I get pasta cravings and today was one of those days so I decided to make tuna penne pasta with onion, tomato and water chestnut scrambled egg.

Scrambled eggs isn't something you'd usually see paired with pasta but I like my eggs so I thought why not give it a try. I used wholemeal penne to see how it differs from non-wholemeal pasta. Taste wise its similar but in terms of texture, it is a bit more grainy that normal pasta. According to the nutrition panel it has more fibre too with 9 g per 100 g of pasta.

I also found frozen water chestnuts in my freezer so I decided to add that to my egg as well. Water chestnut is an Asian vegetable with a crisp texture and a subtle sweet taste. I didn't know until I searched it up but water chestnuts have antioxidant properties, and are a source of vitamin B6 for brain and immune health, potassium for regulating heart rhythm and lowering blood pressure, and manganese required in bone formation.

This dish is very versatile. You can leave your scrambled eggs plain or use other ingredients like mushrooms or chives. I just used what I found in the kitchen. You can also leave out the tuna if you like and there'd still be plenty of egg to be mixed in with the pasta.

Ingredients

• 70 g penne pasta (I used wholemeal this time)
• 2 water chestnuts diced 
• 1 small tomato diced
• 1/2 onion diced 
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs milk 
• 1 x 95g tin tuna (flavour of choice)
• salt to taste
• Pepper 
• Thyme (dried or fresh)
• Rosemary (dried or fresh)

Cook pasta according to pack. Drain and set aside. 

Whilst the pasta is cooking saute the garlic and onion on medium-high heat until the onions start to brown.

Add the tomato, water chestnut and a splash of water (~ 2 tbs). With occasional stirring, let the tomatoes cook for about 3 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Season with a bit of salt and a sprinkle of thyme.

Beat the egg together with the milk and add to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring until the egg is cooked. 

Assemble the pasta, tuna and scrambled egg to your liking. I had the pasta on the bottom, then I added the tuna and mounded the scrambled egg on top. Sprinkle with some rosemary and pepper to your liking. 

Everything mixed together :)

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet

I like my food. I like it even more when it's cheap and tasty. Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet is a small fast-paced restaurant located on Dixon St. Here they offer a very extensive range of Taiwanese snacks and meals, most popular of which seem to be the you tiao wrapped in egg pancake or green onion pancake.

Today, for two people, we ordered two hot soy bean drinks, you tiao with egg pancake, green onion pancake with egg and a beef and vegetable noodles. I don't remember how much they were individually but all together it was only $25.90. Yep cheap and tasty.

First to arrive is the hot soy bean drink which comes in a large bowl. It's lovely and smooth with a good soy flavour. The hot drink has no added sugar which is why I prefer it over the cold drink which is sweetened.

Next to arrive was the you tiao in egg pancake. I don't really understand why people find the you tiao so good. It was soft and didn't have much taste. I much rather have the egg pancake on its own which by itself was good. The egg pancake is a thin crispy pancake base with egg and spring onions on top. 

The green onion pancake with egg was actually very similar to the egg pancake but only this time the green onions are in the pancake and not the egg. This pancake is a bit thicker than the egg pancake but I felt was a also a little more oily. Taste wise, the green onion pancake edges towards the salty side of things but it was still enjoyable. 

Lastly, the beef and vegetable noodles. I wasn't in a soup mood so I opted for the dry version which had a savoury-sour vinaigrette-like sauce instead. Mixed together with the pickled vegetables and generous amounts of refreshing bean sprouts there was excitement with each mouthful. Underneath all the bean sprouts were slices of melt-in-your-mouth beef and a few stalks of choy sum. A minor let down were the noodles themselves which were a little soft, but apart from that it was a pretty good bowl of beef noodles.

Mother Chu's is a great place for a quick lunch. Service isn't top notch but they make up for it in the price and the food.