Bing Boy - Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide, there's a new kid in town and his name is Bing Boy. The first one is in Southern Cross Food Court and there's soon to be a second location in the new group of Renaissance Arcade food stalls.



In case you were wondering what this Bing Boy "urban asian street food" is all about, the side of the shop defines the meaning of the name:



There are 8 wraps on the menu, priced at $5.90, $6.90 or $7.90 depending on which fillings you choose. All are wrapped in a thin wheat omelette made with egg, green onions, coriander & sesame seeds.



After ordering, you can stand to the side and watch the girls make the wrap. The process looks quite similar to making crepes, but of course the ingredients are very different.



The finished product comes in a paper bag and looks very similar to a burrito. Of course, once you bite into it the experience is like none other. Delicious!


(pictured: BBQ Bing after a few bites)

Bing Boy offers a very unique option and a great break from a sandwich or sushi roll for lunch.

Update 22 Dec 2011: A new location is now open in Myer Centre Food Court (lower ground level). The Renaissance Arcade location is still "coming soon".

Update 20 Jan 2012: The menu has changed slightly. New menu is:


Update 23 April 2012: The Renaissance Arcade location is now open for business!

Update 15 June 2012: Based on my experience, the quality of the meat and general freshness is best at the Southern Cross location. I have had fatty meat at both the Renaissance Arcade and Myer Centre locations. I think the original Southern Cross location is the one to go to.

Meet Fresh - Sydney, New South Wales

We just got back from a trip to Sydney and as you can probably guess, there was a lot of eating involved. One of the most memorable places we discovered was a Taiwanese dessert place in Chinatown (Haymarket) called Meet Fresh. If you weren't reading the name in print, you might think it was a butcher shop (meat fresh?). But the name is only one part of the fun. For us, it was something different, cheap and delicious for dessert.



This is probably the shortest you'll ever see the line, but they give you a buzzer that goes off when your order is ready. This system is very efficient so you rarely have to wait very long. On our first visit, we were pleased to see the Top 10 in the front window since we had no idea what this place was selling or where to start with the menu.



They sell Taiwanese desserts and drinks at Meet Fresh. I can tell you the dessert menu is slightly overwhelming at first. There are various numbered Taro Balls, Herbal Jelly, and Tofu Pudding options. If you're planning a visit, I recommend checking out the menu on the website first as it's pretty hard to figure out what you want when you're standing in line. After several return visits, our favourite was Taro Balls No. 4 (cold). When you order, you get the option of hot or cold. Cold was our preference as we really loved the texture and taste with the ice and cane sugar syrup. Yum! They keep the shop really warm inside so ice is good even in winter.



Taro Balls No. 4 has Taro, Red Beans and Pearls. The other numbers have different combinations. If you choose the hot option with any of the taro balls, it's more of a warm soup. Not as sweet and not as nice, but still a good dessert on a cold day.



Another option we tried was Herbal Jelly No. 5 (cold). The herbal jelly ice was underneath and they gave us a little tub of milk to pour over the top. This one is probably not for everyone but we loved it.



This place turned into our trip go-to for desserts since they're max $5.50 for a huge bowl. Bargain! It's something different and probably much healthier than the other dessert options out there. If you're in Sydney, you've got to check out Meet Fresh and let us know your favourite choice on the menu.

Indian Temptations - Adelaide, South Australia

We've been eating at Indian Temptations for a few years now so this review is long overdue. We love this place for authentic, cheap and delicious Indian food. You would think it would be a bit risky to eat here since it looks pretty dingy inside and out, but we've always had great experiences. Their food is the best Indian in Adelaide and far better than the more upmarket options around.

Most nights, Indian Temptations is buzzing with people of all different cultures ordering and collecting their take away. They have about 4 tables for eating in and if you choose this option, you certainly won't be bored with all the people and staff busily making magic in the kitchen just behind the counter. Here's a shot of the main counter during a rare quiet moment.



Now, to the food. Pick any dish you like and it's sure to be good, but the butter chicken and naan are amazing! If you don't know where to start, these two are very safe bets. Consistently awesome. Here's garlic naan ($2.50), butter chicken ($10.90), dal maharani ($8.50) and rice ($4.50 for a large).



Also highly recommended is the mango lassi ($5 for a large), a deliciously sweet and thick yogurt drink.



If you're ever in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and want some awesome authentic Indian food for cheap, Indian Temptations is a must. With consistently awesome food and generous portion sizes you really can't go wrong. They're open 7 days 11:30am til late (except Sun 5:30pm til late).