Air Frying in the Air Fryer: The trial

Written by Brian (@brhinos), Sydney

When I first heard from myfoodtrail she bought an air fryer, I couldn’t quite comprehend how you could deep fry food without oil. How could air replicate the same effect as hot oil? It didn’t make sense.

The Kitchen Chef 3.2L Family Sized 1400W Air Fryer

Interestingly, it’s hardly new technology with Phillips releasing one of their earlier models in 2010. So 5 years on, it’s surprising to hear there’s still a lot of people who at the mention of the words “Air Fryer” have the same confused looked on their face that I once did.

To explain it simply, Air Fryers use “Rapid Air technology” which combines high speed air circulation with a top grill. It’s like a fan forced oven on steroids. Phillips is a premium brand on the market with their Air Fryers costing between $300-$500. So when I saw a lessor known brand on sale for significantly less, I entertained the idea of owning one. Having not heard of the brand before, I did a bit of research before stumbling on to a video that won me over.

Looks like R2-D2’s little brother. Could do with some blue though

Fade into a short montage showing off the design features of the Kitchen Chef 3.2L Family Sized 1400W Air Fryer, to the soundtrack of curious music, which strangely makes me more curious. The video has sudden change of pace, the temperature dial gets turned up the max and the music turns into an uplifting melody that prepares me for what’s to come. A raw family sized chicken is placed into the cooking basket of the air fryer, followed by some cubed pumpkin, potatoes and carrots. The chicken is lightly and almost carelessly brushed with a teaspoon of oil before the basket is placed back into the Air Fryer to be cooked. Cut to 30 minutes later and once the basket comes out, a beautifully cooked chicken is revealed as though it has been taken out of an oven.

The video moves on to hand cut potato fries stating there is no oil added and moves on to cooking other ingredients including salt & pepper squid, roast vegetables and even a full size meat pie! Impressed by the video and seduced by the price, I jumped on the sale and became the proud new owner of an Air Fryer.

It was time to put it to the test and I attempt to recreate the hand cut fries I saw in the promotional video.

Sweet Potato Fries – Raw, 0 mins cooking

I use Sweet Potato as my guinea pig, chop them into shape and throw them into the Frying Basket. The guidelines for cooking “frozen thick cut chips” is 12-20 minutes at 200 degrees so I give them just under 10 minutes at 200 degrees before checking on them. The user manual also mentions I should add a 3 minutes to cooking time if starting the appliance cold so after 7 minutes of air frying, I check how the fries are progressing.

Sweet Potato Fries 7 mins cooking

To ensure even cooking, the user manual also advises on stopping the cooking process midway to “shake” the contents. Since this is my first time using the Air Fryer, I “pause & shake” more times than I normally would so I can see how quickly the fries are cooking.

While waiting in the initial 7 minutes, I decided I wanted to see the effects of air frying carrots so I cut them and add them to the mix. They’re sliced thinner than the sweet potatoes so 10 minutes later, I check on them and they’re cooked enough for me to take them out.

Sweet Potato 17 mins cooking, Carrots 10 mins

The difference between soggy and crispy fries

Eventhough the sweet potato is cooked, the outside isn’t as crispy as I’d like it. As you can see, some are even a little soggy that they sag.  Almost looks like a sweet potato praying mantis.

I decide to go for more crispy fries so I put them on for another 5 minutes. This was the result. A few minutes more and they would have been hard to salvage.

Sweet Potato Fries 22 mins cooking

I’ve tried both pan frying and oven baking sweet potato and found that whichever method I use, it’s tough to get a crispy skin without using batter. I also noticed the demo video I saw used white potato which is easier to crisp. With that considered, eventhough it didn’t look exactly like the video, I was pretty happy with the results. I added a sprinkling of rosemary, sea salt and shaved cheese and my Air fried Sweet potato fries were served.

Does it work better than a Deep Fryer? I can’t say it does. It’s difficult to replicate the effects of deep frying food in hot oil without actually using oil but it’s not far off. The results were somewhere between an oven and a deep fryer. Although, without excess oil taking refuge in your food, it’s a small sacrifice to make for the health benefits.

The positives: Main one is the health benefits since the Air Fryer can be used for oil-free cooking. Phillips even claims air frying results in 80% less fat compared to fries prepared in their conventional fryer! Other positives include convenience (no messing around with oven mitts, opening/closing oven doors or dealing with oil), faster cooking time compared to an oven and ease of cleaning as the frying basket is removable and dish washer friendly.

The negatives: Uses a lot of electricity, slower cooking time compared to deep frying, limited size frying basket so you’ll need to cook in batches if you have a lot of people to cater for (although my 3.2 litre basket fits a family size roast chicken or 1 kg of frozen fries so this is fine for most occasions).

From this list, I’d say the positives outweigh the negatives. Would I recommend it? Definitely

 

Meet the new Mr Stonebowl in Burwood. Menu included

According to the 2011 Census, roughly 25% of residents in the Sydney Burwood Council Area have a Chinese ancestry.  You can feel this statistic come to life when you take a walk down the “Chinatown” strip of Burwood Rd. Chinese restaurants are aplenty, Chinese Characters nearly outnumber English ones and business names such as “Friendship Asian Groceries” and “Good Luck Butchery” stumble across your view. In this competitive hub of Asian cuisine, one newly opened restaurant has risen from the ranks and is fast becoming a fan favourite. The name’s Stonebowl. Mr Stonebowl (or 石锅先生 in Chinese). The interesting thing, despite Mr Stonebowl’s popularity, is when I do a simple google search, they have virtually no online presence. I couldn’t even find a menu. So after a discussion with a Burwood local (a Chinese friend who introduced this restaurant to me) and a couple of visits later, I feel qualified enough to introduce Mr Stonebowl to you and include a menu (scroll to bottom).

Only a few months old, Mr Stonebowl has amassed a large following evident by the crowds of people lining the footpath. A strong competitor for crowds is Tea Plus, a Taiwanese restaurant a few stores down with cheap food and nice looking milk teas. However, their crowds seem sporadic whereas the crowds at Mr Stonebowl are consistently present all the way through the lunch service.

Authentically Chinese restaurants sometimes have a language barrier with waiters and menus in Chinese but Mr Stonebowl has overcome this challenge with a bilingual menu and ordering system. Using additional photos from the menu, you simply fill out your selections on the order form and hand it to the waiter.

A popular theory doing the circuits is that Mr Stonebowl’s Xiao Long Baos are better than Din Tai Fung. So that’s exactly where we start off.

We sat on table 9. Coincidentally, the exact number of dumplings in one serving

Xiao Long Bao can be difficult name to pronounce for non Chinese speakers but the derivation of the name is simple. Xiao Long is the Chinese name of the bamboo baskets the dumplings are steamed in and Bao means “package”. Visually, they are easy to identify from other dumplings as they have translucent skins and are packaged in a way they can hold soup (hence why they’re known as “soup dumplings”).

In my opinion, there’s a 4 step beginners guide to successfully eat a Xiao Long Bao.

1. Use chopsticks to carefully peel them from the basket, ensuring you don’t puncture the skin and let the soup run out
2. Select a dipping sauce usually soy or vinegar and depending on the restaurant, with the option of chilli or ginger. My preference is vinegar with slivers of thinly sliced ginger.
3. Place a small amount of your sauce of choice on a Chinese Soup Spoon, followed by the Xiao Long Bao.
4. Now this is where most inexperienced eaters fall victim to burnt mouths and yelps of pain. Xiao Long Baos hold hot soup inside so you need to nibble around the edges to let the hot steam out. Wait a few seconds for the steam to escape before carefully eating the Xiao Long Bao, where the soup and sauce should now be mixed in your spoon.

I followed this method and safely delivered the dumpling basket to mouth without incident. And they were fantastic! The soup is full of flavour, meat well cooked and skin just the right level of thickness, I think the rumours are true. They’re a touch better than their Sydney competitors.

In our excitement of eating more dumplings, we order the Pan fried Pork Dumplings and Pan fried Pork Buns which have essentially the same flavours.

The Pan fried Pork Dumplings fit the mould of the stereotypical dumpling. These particular ones are called “pot stickers” in Chinese referring to the last phase of the cooking process. The dumplings are steamed in a covered pan with a small amount of water, which, once evaporated, is fried in oil turning the bottom of the dumplings golden brown and crispy. These crispy bits can sometimes stick to the pot, hence the name.

These dumplings were good. I liked the crispy bottoms but they weren’t as flavourful as the Xiao Long Bao. The Pork Buns were almost identical in taste but encased in a bun that was denser and fluffier than dumpling skin.

Next we moved on to the mains, starting with the Preserved Egg & Pork Mince Congee. Preserved eggs, also known as century eggs, are a delicacy in China. They are eggs preserved in a salty solution, which over time, results in a chemical reaction that changes the texture and flavour of the eggs. The egg whites turn dark brown, translucent and gelatinous and the yolk changes to a dark grey colour. They’re not the prettiest sight to see but the Chinese love them. I’m personally not a fan of these types of eggs but this congee was delicious. I steered clear of the egg but the mince and porridge was full of flavour and something I would love to have on a cold winters day.

The Stir Fried Oyster Mushrooms with garlic shoots seemed healthy enough but were definitely on the bland side. Unless you’re looking for a vegetable boost, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Small photo for small impact 🙂

The dishes started to step up a level with the Stir fried Shredded Beef which was covered in a sweet, sticky glaze and had a slight crunch. The beef was well cooked and went well with the glaze. Just how I like it.

The surprise dish of the day was the Garlic Prawns steamed with sticky rice. Aesthetically, it’s not appetizing to the eyes at all. I was almost tempted not to try it but I’m glad I did. Every part of this dish rated well with the taste buds. The prawns were so juicy they contrasted well against their crunchy batter. The sticky rice was a big hit at the table so much so that everyone was happy to forgo their serving of white rice for it.

The best presented dish came in the form of the Deep Fried Eggplant in bread crumbs & dry garlic. As great as they looked, they tasted even better! I had to shake off some off the bread crumbs but the moment I bit through the crispy outer shell, a wave of soft, flavourful eggplant hit me and moans were heard around the table as the table tried this dish. Word of warning, similarly with the Xiao Long Baos, be careful with this dish. It’s very hot upon serving so do your mouth a favour and proceed with caution. Conversely, the best flavour comes out when it’s hot so don’t let them go cold.

My favourite dish of the day was the Deep Fried Chicken Fillet with dry chilli. The deliciously spicy flavours brought me back to the several months I spent in China earlier in the year. The key ingredient here is the Sichuan Peppercorn, that gives a numbling/tingling sensation as well as a crunchy texture. Combined with the heat, the seasoning and the chicken, this was an authentically tasting dish that is a must try.

Comparative to other Chinese restaurants in Burwood, Mr Stonebowl is a little more expensive but worth it. They balance out crunchy and soft textures very well in their fried dishes and successfully maintain an authentic Chinese flavour. They’re a good representation of Chinese food. I’ve been recommending this place to my friends a lot lately and will absolutely be returning, if anything, for more Fried Chicken fillets.

Other information that may interest you:

• Mr Stonebowl is at the former site of the “Kwok Doo” Chinese Restaurant
• To avoid the lines, best times to go are at the start or end of the lunch service (11am or 1.50pm)
• Nearby parking is metered (around $3.60/hr). For free parking, you’ll have to park much further out. Alternatively, catch public transport. Burwood train station is a short walk away.
• BYO Corkage: $5/bottle
• Add Mr Stonebowl using the Wechat app & you can get a free pot of hot tea
• For the authentic Chinese experience, order the Chinese Herbal Tea which is basically a cold, sweet chinese tea served in a can. It’s what locals drink and what loved to drink growing up

Mr Stonebowl (石锅先生)

185C Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW 2134

Ph: (02) 8970 9605

Written by Brian (@brhinos), Sydney

MR STONEBOWL MENU

Meat & Wine Co Business Lunch Menu

I remember the days when a $7 steak lunch was my idea of a great lunch. I was a little apprehensive about eating uncooked meat so it had to be cooked well done. It was also a time where I was lazy and experimented with microwaving a steak. Thankfully, a few years and several culinary adventures later, those days are long gone. These days, medium rare is the only way to go and $7 barely covers the glass of red to go with the steak.

One of the things I’ve learnt about steak, is the all important cut. Depending on which country you’re in, different countries can recognize the same part of the cow under different names but there’s a diagram that highlights the parts of a cow and the types of steaks sourced from each area. It’s more along the lines of an American definition but it’s a helpful guide. One of my favourite cuts of meat is the fillet but more on that later.

The next step is to find a place that is well versed in quality. A well cooked, tasty piece of steak that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg can be a challenge to find but I decided to go to an old trusty steakhouse called Meat & Wine Co used to do a solid job.

Opened for business in the year 2000, I was surprised to find they only had 4 venues nationally. I thought it was a widespread chain restaurant! With 2 branches in Sydney, 2 in Melbourne and plans to open another 1 in Melbourne (South Yarra, Nov 15) and 1 in the ACT (Kingstone Foreshore, Mar 16), it’s small enough to assume quality hasn’t been compromised for mass production.

The Business Lunch Menu including a glass of red sounded good so the 2 course option gets selected with starters and a steak to follow. I have a quick chat to the waiter and discover the Szechuan Calamari and Bruschetta are two of their best starters.

Bruschetta – avocado, tomato, onion, garlic oil, basil & Grana Padana cheese

The Bruschetta made a superb entrance and looked great. However, the flavour was quite subtle, it was nice and tasted very healthy but nothing spectacular like my eyes led me to believe.

Lightly fried Szechuan Calamari with nam jim sauce & lemon

The Calamari on the other hand was phenomenal. Hard crunchy batter on the outside complemented with tender, juicy meat in the center. I could have had a large serving and walked out satisfied. I decide that if I ever come back, this dish would always feature in my order.

Now it was time for the steaks. I chose a 150 day aged Monte Black Fillet with a 2+ Marble rating. The menu provides more details behind the “Monte” part.

“Monte is the premium line of beef exclusive to The Meat & Wine Co. Monte Beef is sourced from only premium breeders of the highest quality MSA graded Angus cattle carefully reared and grazed on selected farms throughout Australia and monitored from the paddock to the plate using a process of stringent quality checks.”

This gives me assurance that the steaks uphold a certain level of quality but two factors additional factors come into play. Cut and Marbling score.

The general rule about cuts of steak is the further from the horns or hoof (neck and the legs which are the most active parts), the more tender the meat. Using the visual diagram from earlier, the fillet comes from the tenderloin, situated along the back and is the most tender part of the cow.

It’s also worthwhile considering the Marbling score as it can enhance the tenderness, juiciness and flavour of a steak. The higher the rating, the higher the amount of intramuscular fat speckled through the meat giving it a greater flavour potential. The marble score of 2+ isn’t particularly high but for $35 with another course and a glass of wine, I take my chances.

I glide my knife through the meat and see the pink layer within. Success! The meat is extremely well cooked. There are a few at the table who think their medium steak was cooked medium well but my medium rare was perfect. The flavour was great too and with a Cabernet Sauvignon in tow, I feel I’ve made the right order.

Service wise, our food took a noticeably long time to arrive but I dined in a group of 10 people so this was some what understandable. Value wise, Mine & Wine Co have steaks that cost as much as $59, so without going too overboard on price, this Business Lunch Menu is great value for money while delivering a solid steak and a very strong Calamari dish.

 

Note: As at 20/11/2015, it seems as though this menu is called the “Christmas Business Lunch Menu” where other cuts of beef are available, valid Mon to Wed 12 – 4pm, 2/3/4 courses for $45/$55/$65

 

Meat & Wine Co

L1, 31 Wheat Road, IMAX Theatre Complex, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000

Written by Brian (@brhinos), Sydney

 

 

The Choc Pot, Sydney

A stone throw away from Burwood train station, lies a Dessert Restaurant where chocolate lovers salivate and invention and innovation run amok. Some might know this place as The Choc Pot. The owners, similarly to Cuckoo Callay, have the kind of story that aspiring small business owners love to hear. Ash and Deej were high school sweethearts whose collective sacrifices led them on the path to realize their chocolate covered dream. Ash gave up a future career in medicine and Deej worked up to 95 hours a week juggling her full time role as a Strategy Manager for a bank while trying to get The Choc Pot off the ground. Together, they opened their first store in the Inner West.

Growing up as a kid, I would imagine serving up award winning desserts by scooping perfect balls of ice cream out of the tub, drizzling them in microwave warmed Ice Magic and topping them with whatever left over confectionery was around the house. This is completely the opposite of The Choc Pot strategy, where rather than taking the credit for merely assembling a collection of packaged products, everything but the ice cream is hand made from scratch and only premium ingredients such as Callebaut Belgian Chocolate are used.

At the time of my visit, I had just devoured a rather large lunch and had no room for dessert. Well, at least I thought I didn’t. My second stomach began to emerge as I walked through the door. The mesmerizing aromas of chocolate fondants magically made room within the seams of my bursting stomach. Then a browse of the menu created even more room.

There’s a 10 minute wait disclaimer which helps takes out the sting of waiting

When browsing menus, my strategy usually is to read the whole thing so I can see what’s on offer then decide. But this time, I opened the menu and decided straight away that the signature Choc Pot was going to be mine.

It’s only after we order do I discover how difficult my decision could have been. A helpful menu quickly becomes unhelpful when there are so many full page, well shot photos of Hot Fudge Brownie Sundaes, Nutty Choc Praline crepes and something aptly called the Super Terrific Happy Time (waffles with house made salted caramel and melted Belgian chocolate). Each dessert is also accompanied by suggestions for matching teas. Apart from the 14 teas on offer, the beverage section is equally unhelpful in decision making filled with tempting options like a White Choc Strawberry Smoothie, Choc Cookies ‘n Cream Milkshake and their specialty, Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. I breathe a sigh of relief at the dilemma I avoided.

The Choc Pot arrives smelling delicious and looking amazing. We break through the crust and find a pool of hot molten chocolate. Then I make 2 mistakes. Firstly, I realize the rich flavours would have be balanced out well with the scoop of vanilla ice cream I stubbornly declined while ordering. Secondly, I touch the bleeping hot jar that came out from the oven only seconds ago. I quickly forget about the pain and prescribe myself a big dose of chocolate medicine.

Another option to order is the popular and impressive looking Dessert of the Month. For the month of November, the featured dessert is the Pavlova Ice Cream Jar which gets ordered without a second thought.

This dessert hits a home run and gets devoured in record time! I actually thought it was better than their signature Choc Pot. But it was also cold and we didn’t need to wait for the chocolate to cool.

The dessert looked good on the poster but I thought it looked even better in real life! If Dessert of the Month is a great way to experiment and see what flavours and products customers respond to, I’d like to start a petition to get this on the menu as a permanent fixture. This would be my contribution back to the sweet tooth society as I’d never succeed as a Dessert Bar owner. I’d constantly get distracted by all the desserts and grow wider than the door frames eating all the stock. If you see a picture of Ash or Deej, you would never guess they owned a Dessert Bar. Both have slim figures, if you guys ever read this, please share your secret!

With strong desserts, business seems like it’s on the rise. Earlier in the year, they opened a second store in Chatswood and have plans to open up 2 more stores (CBD & Rosebery) by year’s end. Their slogan is “Live Cheeky” which I think their venues and desserts embody. If you feel like adding some cheeky in your life, drop in for some dessert or the gem of a Pavlova Ice Cream only available in November!

Check out their Facebook page for more pics.

The Choc Pot

Shop 7 / 1 Railway Parade, Burwood

Level 3, The District, Chatswood Interchange, 436 Victoria Ave, Chatswood

Written by Brian (@brhinos), Sydney