[Travel Tasmania] Pre-Lunch at The Pondering Frog

This was our pit-stop for some hot food after a short wine tasting at Devil's Corner. Yes, seven early eight early at 10+am, me and Tracy sipped Tasmanian wine and now, we need to refuel our tummies.

quaint cafe

The whole place gives out a childhood vibes. Fun and unserious, possibly.

pondering about life, perhaps?

pretty extensive

The cafe was fairly busy as it was near lunch time, though still a tad early. Browsed the menu and looked like they had plenty of options and also Asian food like curry noodles (or was it laksa), and rice dishes similar to those one would find at zichar stalls (Asian stir-fry). 

Salt and Pepper Wings @AUD12

drumlets or winglets for you?

I thought salt & pepper would be 'dryer' version but eventually through out the trip, it seemed to be heavy on garlic and has sauce/glaze.

We were hungry, so ordered rice dishes to share.

Black Bean Beef @AUD20

Honey Chicken @AUD22

Rice was well cooked and the stir-fry tasty. Honey chicken had the crispiest shell and although it could be less sweet, overall very likeable. Black bean sauce was not too salty and lovely to have broccoli and all the vege in that dish.

so cute, Ivan's order

One thing that I wanted to get next at this place, was the ice-cream.

what is your pick?

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Coated @AUD7.50

It was interesting to see that the ice-cream cone were all ready packed and staff would just need to take it out from the freezer. Oh, the regular cone was huge!

hurry hurry before it melts

It was a nice meal at a nice place. Come say hi to the owner or the staff. Friendly people.

The Pondering Frog

Address: 16494 Tasman Hwy, Bicheno TAS 7215, Australia

Website: http://ponderingfrog.com.au/

Business Hours:

Daily: 8 am–7 pm

[Travel Tasmania] Room For A Pony @ Hobart

We flew from Melbourne Airport to Hobart and this is marks my first time in Tasmania! WoOooHoOoo! Thanks to the meticulous planning by the boys, we hopped onto our rental and off we went in search for lunch.

Decided to go somewhere nearby our would be accommodation for the night.

going to town

Our lunch was at a place called "Room For A Pony". Staff said don't quote her but once upon a time, indeed there was a stable for pony but now, there's none.

The restaurant/cafe looked pretty cosy from across the road, with beautiful lawn where one could feel the breeze and the bright sun. Alfresco dining is available and there were two tables where guests enjoyed their lunch outdoors.

We? Hiding inside the airconditioned place, of course. Hahahaa.

bright and sunny

We decided to go for a couple of pizzas and I thought we would be doing two. Well, I thought wrong. How could this foodie gang stop at just 2 mains? Ended up with one appetiser and three pizzas for the 5 of us.

Grilled Halloumi and Tzatziki @AUD23

Napoletana @AUD25

Eggplant Siciliana @AUD30

Capricciosa @AUD32

The size of the pizza was definitely pretty huge for us. Keke, legendary again! The grilled halloumi was tasty and refreshing with the tzatziki but again, it was a huge plate.

For pizzas, one can't be too dainty when eating this. Fork and knife, if you wish but for casual dining, I'd grabbed one with hands. Easier.

can't fit onto my palm

Napoletana flavours were strong especially if you bit onto the anchovies or black olives. I like it but I think this need to be paired with beer or cider. Eggplant Siciliana was interesting as I never had eggplant on my pizza before. Smokey flavours with occasional slight bitterness and overall, very filling. With some doesn't like olives, some don't like eggplant, the crowd favourite unsurprisingly went to Capricciosa, for the ingredients on the pizza were something that we commonly choose back home.

thin crust, loaded with ingredients, packed with flavours

when in Tassie, drink apple juice

So, did we finish all the food? Answer was no. We packed the leftovers pizza to take back for dinner. Staff was really nice and friendly. It was lovely talking to you!

Room For A Pony

Address: 338 Elizabeth St, North Hobart TAS 7000, Australia

Website: http://roomforapony.com.au/

Contact: +61362310508

Business Hours:

Mon-Fri: 7 am–9 pm

Sat: 8 am–10 pm

Sun: Sunday, 8 am–9 pm

Lunch at Birds of A Feather @ Amoy Street

Am no stranger to Birds but it has been quite a while since I last dined there. Went back to enjoy a quiet lunch with Kris and Ivan. Glad that we made time for this quick catch-up.

Starters

Crab and Avocado Bruschetta

Crab and Avocado Bruschetta

The starters came in handy as I was feeling pretty hungry that day, having only had small pieces of pastries and coffee for breakfast. The rendition of "Crab and Avocado Bruschetta" is still visually stunning after all these years. Tasted light and healthy, with small burst of sweetness from bits of pomegranate and green apple slices.

Find the Chicken in the Chillies 

Find the Chicken in the Chillies @$19

You might have noticed that the "Find the Chicken in the Chilies" is my must order at Birds and yes, it still is. Noted that the spice level and numbing factor have been toned down. Still a nice snack especially if you're having ice cold beer or prosecco.

Main Course

Barramundi Chazuke

Barramundi Chazuke @$36

cracker on the side (to keep it crisp), chazuke (bubbling)

Barramundi Chazuke is indeed a dish that whets the appetite. Sour, tangy and deeply flavoured broth that soothes the soul. I liked it with the crackers. Fish taste was clean with firm texture. Be careful when sipping the broth as the hotstone bowl kept the soup bubbling for a short while after it was served. There is an equivalent of one bowl of rice in the pot, hence this is suitable to be eaten by self as main course or shared with a friend, with a side appetiser and a dessert.

Pan Seared Fillet, Classic Sichuan Sour Vegetable Fish Broth, Mustard Green, Japanese Rice

Charred Marinated Octopus

Charred Marinated Octopus @$32

Sichuan Pita, Pork Ragout

Sichuan Chopped Chillies Salsa, Baby Arugula, Joyn Tomato, Feta

Staff has informed us to mix well the octopus with the salsa before packing them onto the sliced Sichuan Pita (the charcoal looking mantou). Topped it up with the pork ragout. Octopus was nicely tender and I liked it with loads of the pork ragout for extra flavours.

Sichuan Pita, Pork Ragout and Octopus

Oxtail Mapo Tofu

Oxtail Mapo Tofu @$38

I believe most of us probably would have tried mapo at some point before, but mapo tofu with oxtail? This is my first time trying this combo! Expect the beefy taste of the oxtail that's fork tender and the lovely savoury bean-paste fragrance of the mapo tofu. Must eat with rice for the complete experience. I think one could eat two bowls of rice with this. This dish was pretty laid back in the spice quotient, so it could be enjoyed by most.

good with rice

Staff are generally friendly and would inform the guests to be careful of hot surfaces, water continuously topped up and would do a brief introduction of the dishes when presented to the table. Thank you Mei Zhen and Yiling for taking care of our table that day. Apologies if I had mis-spelt your name.

We ended our meal with a cup of coffee. Thanks for the nice latte-art! And of course, special thanks to Eugene for your kind hospitality, in making sure we were well-fed as always.

Mocha @$8

Birds of a Feather

Address: 115 Amoy St, #01-01, Singapore 069935

Website: https://www.birdsofafeather.com.sg/

Contact: 97557115

Business Hours:

Mon - Thu: 12–3 pm, 6–11 pm

Fri - Sat: Friday, 12–3 pm, 6 pm–12 am

Sun: Sunday, 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm

千両 sen-ryo @ ION Orchard

Located at Level 3 of ION Orchard, this was my first time to this restaurant. Thank you Kris for making the reservation.

The restaurant gave off a slightly grand vibe with its dark themed decor. Greeted at the entrance and was brought to our table after waiting for a few minutes as the staff was also attending to walk-ins.

menu

Opted for the Oyako Don Set and the Premium Bento Set to share.

Oyako Don Set 親子丼セット

Oyako Don Set @$16.80++

Was amused by the Oyako Don Set where the egg and chicken were served separately from the rice.

Nevertheless, the set came with side dishes such as pickles, seaweed, miso soup (these 3 components are also served for the Premium Bento set) and chawan mushi.

closer view of the egg and chicken

smooth steamed egg with a piece of firm prawn

loved these pickles

yummy seaweed salad

Premium Bento Set プレミアム弁当セット

Premium Bento Set @$25.80++

The Premium Bento Set has mini barachirashi don, tempura (1 prawn, 1 thin sliced pumpkin), braised beef, saba, cream croquette, tamagoyaki, ebi maki and warabi mochi. Served with side dishes of pickles, seaweed and miso soup.

braised beef

The braised beef tasted sweet savoury similar to those in gyudon (ぎゅ丼). 

mini bara chirashi don ミニばらちらし丼

One has to request for wasabi separately as it wasn't provided within the bento for the mini bara chirashi.

tempura ebi and pumpkin

cream croquette

I do like the cream croquette. Well fried and tasty. The prawn tempura was of a good size.

ebi maki, tamagoyaki and warabi mochi

The staff almost took away the bento when I haven't had the dessert on the tray. Probably the warabi mochi square was too small to be noticeable. Hahaa.

The place is popular during lunch hour. The ambiance was definitely nice while service was mainly perfunctory. Food was decent and price, considered pretty reasonable at this part of town.

Thank you Kris for the treat!

千両 sen-ryo 

Address: 2 Orchard Turn, #03 - 17/18, Singapore 238801

Website: https://inline.app/booking/-MQjry-X9jTsm5p4QyFA:inline-live-2/-MQjry8em01tWBhLQSga

Contact: +6569746782

Business Hours:

Daily: 11 AM–10 PM