Music Wednesday - time to reflect

Adele - Hiding My Heart

So this is how the story went

I met someone by accident

who blew me away

who blew me away

It was in the darkest of my days

When you took my sorrow and you took my pain

And buried them away, you buried them away

And I wish I could lay down beside you

When the day is done

And wake up to your face against the morning sun

But like everything I've ever known

you'll disappear one day

So I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away

I dropped you off at the train station

And put a kiss on top of your head

I watched you wave

I watched you wave

Then I went on home to my skyscrapers

Neon lights and waiting papers

That I call home

I call that home

I wish I could lay down beside you

When the day is done

And wake up to your face against the morning sun

But like everything I've ever known

You'll disappear one day

So I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away

Away

I woke up feeling heavy-hearted

I'm going back to where I started

The morning rain

The morning rain

And though I wish that you were here

On that same old road that brought me here

Is calling me home

Is calling me home

I wish I could lay down beside you

When the day is done

And wake up to your face against the morning sun

But like everything I've ever known

You'll disappear someday

So I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away

I can't spend my whole life hiding my heart

Away ....

The Abercrombie Hotel (Chippendale) - Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Deep-fried Golden Gaytime After Midnight)

 

When dining out, a to-do list is usually not the norm, but when it comes to the newly reopened Abercrombie Hotel in Broadway, it pays to be prepared:

1. Get your affairs in order. In particular, check your will and make any necessary codicils.
2. Ensure you have a plentiful supply of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, etcetera), or at the very least, policosanol. Better still, some Anginine and/or Nitrolingual in the worst case scenario.
3. Ring your family and friends and tell them you love them, because you may be gone for a while. Or for good.
4. If you are diabetic, have a few extra ultra-short-acting insulin pens ready. You're gonna need them.
5. Have 000 on speed dial at the ready.

So what makes this prep work so necessary when eating at the Abercrombie? Three words (or four words if you so desire): Deep-fried. Golden. Gaytime.

Phwoar. These immortal words are guaranteed to send nutritionists and the health nut into a tailspin but everybody else into unbridled ecstasy. And/or a hyperglycaemic coma, whichever comes first.

As the name implies, this iconic Aussie treat is wickedly given the deep-frying treatment at the Abercrombie, and all for a measly seven bucks. No wonder this is the only dessert available on the menu; there needn't be anything else and I defy any sane person not to order this holy grail of guilty pleasures.

The Abercrombie is one of a glut of newly refurbished hotels/bars hoping to make a mark in this increasingly crowded segment of Sydney's dining pie. Without a unique selling point, it would be just another cookie-cutter bistro, but it smartly distinguishes itself with its quirky Scottish theme, modern bistro menu, and the aforementioned Deep-fried Golden Gaytime (DGG). Strangely, the Scottish influence is only decor-centric and little of the food is remotely Scottish except perhaps for the (loosely applied) Glasgow Hotwings.

Instead, there is a mixture of de riguer American fast food (sliders, tacos, nachos, burgers, mac and cheese) with a few British staples (Welsh rarebit, Scotch egg, Toad In The Hole), and for those hoping to eschew a premature atheroschlerotic death, there are two salads.

But before we get to the DGG, we must talk about the non-DGG foods on offer at the Abercrombie. Sigh.

Mac N Cheese ($12)

Gooey, fatty, cheesy, crunchy, and with a good aioli. Next.

Glasgow Hotwings ($12) - spicy baked chicken wings

Sticky and quite fiery with a side of bread to mop up the sauce.

Scotch Egg Slider ($6) - scotch egg, mayonnaise, mini roll

Delish. And cute. Quail egg wrapped in sausage is moist and the coating is crispy. Comes with a small serving of great crinkle cut chips. Are we there yet?

Double Cheeseburger ($17) - double beef pattie, double cheese, pickle, mustard, and tomato sauce, served with fries

Fantastic burger. Along with the wagyu burger at 4143 at the James Barnes, one of the best I've tried this year. Meaty and cheesy (doubly so!), succulent, moreish, and with a bouncy sesame seed bun. Tomatoes and lettuce are served separately and there is a generous amount of the crinkle cut chips. Even better, it's only $10 on some nights as a special. Ace.

Schnitzel with Bolognaise ($16) - parmagiana with spaghetti bolognaise and chips

Average tasting schnitzel. A bit overcooked in the fryer. Nice doona of ham and cheese. Spag bol is a little bland, lacking meat and sauce, and is redundantly carb overload.

Finally! With the supporting acts out of the way, we can concentrate on the star of the show .... drum roll please.

Deep-fried Golden Gaytime ($7)

Ta-da! The DGG comes minus fanfaronade and superfluous additions, with no flowers, creams, jellies, smears, or nonsense to distract from the main attraction; just a simple Golden Gaytime ice cream battered and deep-fried into heavenly bliss, drizzled with a caramel sauce and placed on a stark white plate.

Another view

Bite into it and you get the ice cream centre oozing out majestically in a smooth trickle of toffee and vanilla. The deep-fried battered exterior adds a level of richness only your arteries can't appreciate. Stupid blood vessels.

And another ....

The best way to consume it is with a spoon, but no matter the method, eat it fast because it melts quickly!

The Blue Steel ....

That's right, work that honeycomb biscuit girlfriend!

Gl-gl-glorious

Quay may have the overrated Snow Egg, but the Abercrombie has the equally tremendous DGG, and it is far cheaper too. It may be technically inferior to the Peter Gilmore creation lionised on MasterChef, but for sheer tastebud-tantalising orgasms, the DGG performs the job with aplomb. So good that there was almost a riot of London proportions when they had exhausted its supply one day.

The Abercrombie may not win any Good Food Guide hats or garner the chef a spot on next year's MasterChef Australia, but in four short weeks since its reopening, it already has attained rock star status among the hipsters. What's not to love? It has the cool nickname (The 'Abba'), 844 'Likes' on its Facebook page, and reasonably priced modern bistro food with a twist; but best of all, it has the stunningly simple signature Deep-fried Golden Gaytime. Damn the atheroschlerosis, damn the myocardial infarction, and damn the reduced life expectancy when food tastes this good.

The good: Deep-fried Golden Gaytime; Scotch Egg Slider; Double Cheeseburger; crinkle cut chips; value for money; efficient service

The bad: Not enough inside tables; spag bol that comes with the chicken schnitzel is bland and superfluous; almost all the food is heart attack-inducing

What the?: Scottish theme but no Scottish food

www.theabercrombie.com.au

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Music Saturday - time to party

Vengaboys - Shalala Lala

There's a boy in my mind and he knows I'm thinkin' of him

All my way to the day and the night the stars shine above me

He's been gone for some time but I know I truly love him

And I'm singing a song, hoping he'll be back when he hears it

My heart goes shalala lala, shalala in the morning

Oh oh oh shalala lala, shalala in the sunshine

Shalala lala, shalala lala in the evening

Shalala lala shalala lala just for you

If your love's gone away just like mine you feel like crying

Sing along maybe once maybe twice, let's try it together

Some sweet day no one knows he'll return and you'll be happy

Shout it sweet in a song, listen to your heart it is singin'

My heart goes shalala lala, shalala in the morning

Oh oh oh shalala lala, shalala in the sunshine

Shalala lala, shalala lala in the evening

Shalala lala shalala lala just for you

If your love's gone away just like mine you feel like crying

Sing along maybe once maybe twice, let's try it together

Some sweet day no one knows he'll return and you'll be happy

Shout it sweet in a song, listen to your heart it is singin'

My heart goes shalala lala, shalala in the morning

Oh oh oh shalala lala, shalala in the sunshine

Shalala lala, shalala lala in the evening

Shalala lala shalala lala just for you

Music Wednesday - time to reflect

OneRepublic feat. Sara Bareilles - Come Home

Hello world

Hope you're listening

Forgive me if I’m young

For speaking out of turn

There’s someone I’ve been missing

I think that they could be

The better half of me

They’re in the wrong place trying to make it right

But I’m tired of justifying

So I say you’ll ....

Come home

Come home

'cause I’ve been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

And right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

The fight for you is all I’ve ever known

So come home

I get lost in the beauty

Of everything I see

The world ain’t as half as bad

As they paint it to be

If all the sons

If all the daughters

Stopped to take it in

Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin

It might start now .... yeah

Well maybe I’m just dreaming out loud

Until then

Come home

Come home

Cause I’ve been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

And right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

The fight for you is all I’ve ever known

Ever known

So come home

Everything I can’t be

Is everything you should be

And that’s why I need you here

Everything I can’t be

Is everything you should be

And that’s why I need you here

So hear this now

Come home

Come home

Cause I’ve been waiting for you

For so long

For so long

And right now there's a war between the vanities

But all I see is you and me

The fight for you is all I’ve ever known

Ever known

So come home

Come home

New Shanghai (Bondi Junction) - Shanghai-light of the East(ern Suburbs)

Before the Westfield gourmet juggernaut hit the Sydney CBD, there was another aspiring Westfield food court aiming for a more upmarket eating experience, and that was Bondi Junction in Sydney's east. But while Westfield Sydney has sauteed, braised, deep-fried, baked, and sous-vide its way to the top of the food court tree with celebrity chef power and a variety of killer eateries, Bondi Junction has been in the doldrums. Despite possessing a generous vista of the city skyline and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, its coterie of anonymous and perfunctory cut-and-paste eateries is uninspiring. Even without the infestation of the mass-produced dreck from the multinational McDonalds, KFCs, and Subways of this world, there is little attraction to eating here.

Thank goodness then for New Shanghai, a casual takeaway branch of the popular restaurant which had its start in Sydney's Ashfield before expanding to North Shore Chatswood and places as diverse as Charlestown (near Newcastle), Shanghai, and Singapore.

New Shanghai's philosophy to popularise Shanghainese cuisine allows an array of well known and more esoteric dishes to be tasted, and this fits perfectly into a food court setting; one can order as little or as much as one desires without feeling guilty, and it's an ideal place for snacking and for experiencing unfamilar food.

There is a large selection of Shanghai-style noodles, rice, and soups, as well as their signature dumplings, which are made to order as one waits, with all the action happening in the dedicated dumpling-making 'theatre' that is an extension of the counter. Quality and freshness are assured as the dumpling practitioner rolls, kneads, fills, and seasons the dumplings by hand, and within ten to fifteen minutes the parcels of steamed or fried deliciousness are presented piping hot for one's consumption.

Drunken chicken ($9) - chicken soaked in Chinese wine with herb and spice

While waiting for the dumplings to be crafted, we indulge in two cold dishes to whet the appetite. The first is the popular drunken chicken, uber-tender pieces of galline thigh marinated in a deliciously sweet Chinese wine; its menu description of being "soaked" is rather unappetising though and should be changed. The skin is slipperily silky and the whole dish is moreish, particularly with a bowl of steamed rice. In my experience, a few Caucasians are afraid of chicken which is still a pale white/yellow but this is a great dish that everyone should enjoy.

Sweet and sour pork rib in dark vinegar sauce ($5)

The sweet and sour pork ribs on the other hand are a more difficult recommendation, mainly because of the fiddly pork ribs. There is nothing wrong with the dark vinegar sweet and sour sauce which is tangy and scrumptious, but the amount of chewy cartilage in this dish is disconcerting. Similar to chewing on the endless bones present in chicken's feet, a lot of sucking is required to make the most out of the limited pork flesh, and the upshot is rather unfulfilling.

New Shanghai Xiao Long Bao - steamed mini pork bun/New Shanghai crab meat Xiao Long Bao - steamed mini crab meat and pork bun

There are two types of handmade xiao long bao (steamed mini buns), one with pork mince and the other the same but luxuriously studded with shredded crab meat. In some cases, the two varieties are barely distinguishable but the New Shanghai versions are distinct with the crab clearly present. The 'baos' are wonderfully steamed fresh and one needs to be wary of the hot soup hiding inside. The dainty balls of meat within are well cooked to a luscious tenderness but the delicate casing is a little dry and tough where they're pinched at the apex. Still fine examples of the beloved XLB.

Pan fried pork dumpling/New Shanghai pan fried pork bun/New Shanghai pan fried crab meat and pork bun/Deep fried pastry filled with shallot and ham and coated with sesame/Deep fried pastry filled with white radish, dried shrimps and shallots/Steamed vegetable dumpling

A melange of dumplings, buns, and deep-fried pastries are equally excellent, even without their being made on the spot. The pan-fried pork dumpling is meaty, moist, and tasty but the surprise is the steamed vegetable dumpling, a beautifully cooked and textured mix of diced vegetables that burst forth with flavour.

The pan-fried buns are unsurprisingly hearty with their thick doughy casings holding balls of nicely cooked pork mince and crab meat inside. Their bases are pan-fried to a smokily singed crispiness and as with the XLBs, each bun holds a spoonful of potentially scalding hot broth waiting to squirt out unsuspectingly with one's first bite. So much so that we are forbodingly issued a cute little flower-shaped Post-It note cautioning us of "Hot broth inside"; thanks girls. First degree burns averted.

The last of the dim sim-style dishes is of the deep-fried variety, and both are better than expected. The pastries are light, flaky, buttery, and not too dry, while the fillings are suitably moreish, with a mixture of ham and shallots in one, and a deliciously textural combination of white radish, dried shrimps, and shallots in the other. Just don't try whistling with these babies in the mouth.

Deep fried calamari coated with salted egg yolk ($18.80)/Combination fried rice ($9)

Leaving the satisfying dim sim-style dishes behind we try a main and a rice dish, but neither reaches any great heights. The deep-fried calamari coated with salted egg yolk is an unusual dish visually with egg yolks rendering the crunchy batter a lucent orange glow. Alas, it doesn't taste better than it looks as it's heavy, salty, and the balance is askew. The combination fried rice is light and not too oily but a little too sparing on the 'combination' part, with only diced ham and the odd prawn accompanying the standard frozen vegetables mix (peas, carrots, etc.).

Pan fried pumpkin pastry ($4.50 for 2 pieces)

It is most welcome to see a non-dessert food court eatery serving sweets, and New Shanghai has five on the menu, from the obscure (slow-cooked white fungus with papaya) to the more traditional (sesame paste dumplings). Pan-fried pumplin pastry sits somewhere in the middle, and while there is no presentation to speak of (they resemble badly fake-tanned hockey pucks), they are yummy. The outside is still a little hot, and there is a slight crunch, while the inside is gooey, smooth, and more importantly, just the right amount of sweet. At $2.25 each, they are a bargain and a lovely way to end a meal or as a naughty snack.

Westfield Sydney has the world famous Din Tai Fung but New Shanghai at Westfield Bondi Junction gives it a run for its dim sim money and in many ways betters it. New Shanghai has an extensive menu of over fifty dishes and a wider selection, including cold dishes and over twenty dim sim-style foods which Din Tai Fung cannot match. This variety alone would have one coming back, provided the food is good, and for the most part it is great. As long as one focuses on the standout dumplings and buns for which New Shanghai is famous, then one is guaranteed deliciousness. The non-dim sim-style dishes on the other hand are too uneven for a wholehearted recommendation, with the exception of the pan-fried pumpkin pastry.  With prices very affordable (the most expensive dish is the deep-fried prawn coated with salted egg yolk at $22.80), the service friendly with an added touch, and the dumpling 'theatre' adding a little flair, New Shanghai at Westfield Bondi Junction has breathed new life into this waning and stagnating food court, and about time too.

FoodiePop dined at New Shanghai as a guest of New Shanghai and George of Wasamedia.

The good: dumplings and buns; freshness; drunken chicken; pan-fried pumpkin pastry; dumpling 'theatre'; prices; efficient and amiable service; large menu; food court setting

The bad: cold sweet and sour pork ribs are too fiddly to eat; deep-fried calamari coated with salted egg yolk is too salty and heavy

What the?: slow cooked white fungus with papaya

www.newshanghai.com.au

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Music Sunday - time to relax

Dianne Reeves - Just My Imagination

Each day through my window I watch him as he passes by

I say to myself, "You're such a lucky girl"

To have a boy like him is truly a dream come true

Out of all the girls in the world he belongs to me

But it was just my imagination runnin' away with me

It was just my imagination runnin' away with me

Soon we'll be married and raise a family

Have a cozy little home out in the country with two children, maybe three

I tell you I, I can visualize it all

This couldn't be a dream for too real it all seems

But it was just my imagination once again runnin' away with me

It was just my imagination runnin' away with me

Every night on my knees I pray, dear Lord, hear my plea

Don't ever let another take his love from me or I will surely die

His love is heavenly when his arms enfold me I hear a tender rhapsody

But in reality he doesn't even know my name, oh what a shame

For it was just my imagination runnin' away with me

And runnin' and runnin'

It was just my imagination once again runnin' away with me

It was just my imagination runnin' away with me

Just my imagination

In the windmills of my mind I would think about him all the time

Just my imagination

But he didn't even know my name, oh what a shame

Well, it was just my imagination

Music Friday - ready for the weekend

Black Lace - Agadoo

Ag-a-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody

I met a hula mistress somewhere in Waikiki

Well she was sellin' pineapple, playin' ukulele

And when I went to the girl, come on and teach me to sway

She laughed and whispered to me, yes come tonight to the bay

The lovely beach, in the sky the moon of Kauai

Around calypso sarong we'll all be singin' this song

Ag-a-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody

And down on the shore they gather romance

She showed me much more, not only to dance...

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody

The lovely beach, in the sky the moon of Kauai

Around calypso sarong we'll all be singin' this song

Ag-a-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree

Aga-doo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees

Music Wednesday - time to reflect

Jason Mraz - Mr. Curiosity

Hey Mr. Curiosity

Is it true what they've been saying about you

Are you killing me?

You took care of the cat already

And for those who think it's heavy

Is it the truth

Or is it only gossip?

Call it mystery or anything

Just as long as you'd call me

I sent the message on did you get it when I left it

See this catastrophic event

It wasn't meant to mean no harm

But to think there's nothing wrong is a problem

I'm looking for love this time

Sounding hopeful but it's making me cry

Love is a mystery

Mr. Curious ....

Come back to me

Mr. Waiting ever patient can't you see

That I'm the same the way you left me

In a hurry to spell check me

And I'm underlined already in envy green

And pencil red

And I've forgotten what you've said

Will you stop working for the dead and return

Mr. Curious well I need some inspiration

It's my birthday and I cannot find no cause for celebration

The scenario is grave but I'll be braver when you save me

From this situation laden with hearsay

I'm looking for love this time

Sounding hopeful but it's making me cry

And love is a mystery

Mr. Curiosity

Be Mr. Please

Do come and find me, oh

Find me, find me, me

I'm looking for love this time

Sounding hopeful but it's making me cry

Trying not to ask why

Cause love is a mystery

Mr. Curiosity

Be Mr. Please

Do come and find me

Love is blinding when the timing's never right

Oh who am I to beg for difference

Finding love in just an instant

Well I don't mind, at least I've tried

Well I tried, I tried ....

Crazy Wings (Chatswood) - On a wing and a prayer

Once upon a time, there was a man in China, and his name was Pan Bo. Pan Bo was a Master Chef (not to be confused with a MasterChef), and his dream was to skewer everything and barbecue them over charcoal. Why? Who the *bleep* knows, but he liked to skewer anything he could find: chicken wings, meat, prawns, mushrooms, vegetables, eggs, tofu, toast, offal, ox tongues, koala penises, his mother-in-law, Kim Kardashian. I'm not sure the last two items would fit on a skewer but I digress. 
Pan Bo's skewer obsession strangely did not get him arrested, but instead led to the genesis of Crazy Wings, an eatery specialising in charcoal barbecue skewers (duh) which now has over 300 branches in China, South Korea, and Australia (this is according to the website; I haven't visited each one of them). One of the latest branches is in Sydney's north shore of Chatswood, and thanks to George and Krissie from Wasamedia, we were invited to a tasting of the menu and hopefully not get skewered ourselves, because that would be painful, and not in a good S&M way.

According to the Crazy Wings website, the "menu .... offers a myriad of charcoal barbeque [sic] skewers and a plethora of classic Chinese specialties"; who needs more convincing than that? A myriad AND a plethora? In future I'll be refusing to eat anywhere that doesn't offer both, because I need my daily dose of my myriads and plethoras.

The Chatswood branch is in the Eat Street section of Railway Street on the non-Westfield side of the railway station; in other words, it's on the shit side where the buses are. Mmmm, charcoal and exhaust fume-flavoured food, here we come.

Stepping inside the cosy and medium-sized dining room is like entering a polished eatery somewhere in China. Everything is wooden from the tables and chairs to the Chinese scroll to the authentic-looking door decorating the back wall. Each table even has a wooden tissue box which has two uses: one, to hide the cheap-looking tissue box lurking underneath and two, to show the table number. Tables are well spaced but with no soft furnishings to speak of except for a scattering of cushions along the banquette, the din would undoubtedly be non-conducive to conversations or peace treaties.

The menu - like most Asian eateries - is extensive and comes with coloured pictures, as if to say "Our English sucks so we'd rather show you the sheep's testicle you will be eating". Not every item listed on the menu has an attendent picture, but then again, not everyone needs to know what a chicken wing looks like. The menu is predictably mainly an assortment of skewered foods, as well as "we-tried-but-we-couldn't-get-these-damn-things-to-skewer" dishes such as noodles, fried rice, salads, and soups. Alas, some of the dishes have unappetitising names such as chilly potato jelly, parsley beef fried rice, and my favourite: lump soup. Mmmm, lumpy-licious. I would give ten bucks to the first non-Asian person to order lump soup.

Chicken wings - Original, Fresh Garlic, Asian Curry ($2.50 each)

What else to order first but chicken wings? Not only do they come on a skewer, but they come on two skewers. Oooo, special. The wings are supposedly marinated in a combination of over twenty Asian spices and sauces; twenty! Take that Colonel Sanders! Utterly insane, this would make a great challenge on next season's MasterChef, and anyone who could name all these spices and sauces must have a preternatural palate, or is bullshitting. The wings were okay, slightly overcooked, lacked consistency, and were a bit weeny, but two wings for $2.50 ain't half bad. They didn't taste too different from each other though - at least not the three varieties we had - but we both agreed the most flavoursome were the fresh garlic wings while the original wings were on the bland side.

Capsicum pineapple marinated beef skewers ($5.50 for 2 skewers)

The capsicum pineapple beef skewers didn't have much going for them except the juicy and slightly smoky pineapple chunks. The capsicum went AWOL and the beef was shoe leather-tough. It's not at all socially acceptable to be troglodytic and pull hunks of food from a skewer using one's molars, but that was what was required for consumption. What would June Dally-Watkins think?

Crazy lamb ($8 for 6 skewers), Garlic pork belly skewers ($6 for 3 skewers)

Not sure why the lamb skewers are prefaced by "Crazy" but perhaps it is because you have to get a minimum of a half-dozen skewers, whereas the other non-lamb varieties are one, two, or three. The pieces of lamb are small though, and while they have a good taste of cumin, they are also chewy and ergo difficult to remove from the skewer without significant effort. The garlic pork belly on the other hand were better. Still a little dry but the fattiness of the pork belly helped somewhat and they were moreishly garlicky.

Pineapple prawn skewers ($6.50 for 2 skewers)

The pineapple prawn skewers were our favourite skewers, and the simple reason was because they were not overdone. They were plump, juicy, and the wedges of pineapple gestating in the middle of each prawn added good sweetness, tartness, and moisture.

Overall the skewers were a letdown with many of them overcooked and tough to deskewer (is that a word? It is now!), and this was not helped by their too-efficient procession to our table. We ordered seven types of skewers and they arrived in a space of about ten minutes. Crazy all right. It wasn't a race but somebody forgot to tell the kitchen.

Old Beijing pork noodle ($11.80)

Our sole non-skewer dish of noodles Old Beijing-style was also hit-and-miss. The huge mound of slippery and supple noodles dwarfed the pork mince sitting on top, and all the more disappointing because the mince had a sticky and balanced deliciousness redolent of oyster sauce. Julienned slivers of cucumber added a burst of colour and cut through the richness of the pork.

Cucumber salad ($5.80), Baked egg ($2.50)

For sides we had a cucumber salad and a curious baked egg. The cucumber salad was garlicky, vinegary, and light but a little one-dimensional, while the egg, still possessing an oozy yolk and splashed with a sweet soy sauce, was not quite worth $2.50.

I cannot think of many things which are crazy and good at the same time, except for Gnarl Barkley's Crazy, Beyonce's Crazy In Love, and Michael Buble's Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Unfortunately, I won't be adding Crazy Wings to that list. The decor is kitschy although inviting, the menu is extensive and interesting, the concept is sound, and the prices provide good value, but the food on this occasion was clumsily executed. The meal came to around $60 but better bang for your buck can be had at one of the all-you-can-eat Yummy Chinese BBQ eateries with their limitless skewers, and one can cook the food to one's preferred doneness. Seal sang that "We're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy", but in this case I think I'll survive without Crazy Wings.

The good: decor; atmosphere; cheap prices; concept; pineapple prawn skewer

The bad: generally overcooked skewers; the food arrived so quickly we finished in thirty minutes; no toilets (one has to use the public toilets nearby)

What the?: lump soup (really?)

www.crazywings.com.au

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Music Sunday - time to relax

Jamie Cullum - These Are The Days

These are the days that I've been missing

Give me the taste, give me the joy of summer wine

These are the days that bring new meaning

I feel the stillness of the sun and I feel fine

Sometimes when the nights are closing early

I remember you and I start to smile

Even though now you don't want to know me

I get on by, and I go the extra mile

These are the times of love and meaning

Ice of the heart has melted away and found the light

These are the days of endless dreaming

Troubles of life are floating away like a bird in flight

These are the days

These are the days

These are the days!

I've thought you said that love would last forever

Leave and that the tears would end for good

I told you that we get through any weather

Maybe that didn't work out

But we did the best we could

These are the days that I've been missing

Give me the taste, give me the joy of summer wine

These are the days that bring new meaning

I feel the stillness of the sun and I feel fine

Music Saturday - time to get down

Sugababes - Freedom

I like the lights

When they hit your face

You're good as blind

It blackens out your gaze

And we're on fire

But I'm too caught in you to care

Let's walk away

Into the night

It's getting late

But we're right on time

And I wanna be nameless

For a little while

[Chorus]

So raise your hand

One fist in the air

For freedom-dom-dom-dom

For being alive

Not having a care

For freedom-dom-dom-dom

Coz tonight, is the night

That we break the speed of light

So stand up

Come alive

Liberate yourself, coz freedom starts tonight!

Stand up [x7]

I love the night

The way it covers us

You're acting shy

But you're curious

Let's play with fire

Coz we're too deep in this to care

[Chorus]

So raise your hand

One fist in the air

For freedom-dom-dom-dom

For being alive

Not having a care

For freedom-dom-dom-dom

Stand up [x13]

Freedom!

Tonight's the night we're gonna live our life

Tonight's the night we're gonna live our life

Sing

Freedom (Freedom)

Freedom (Freedom)

Freedom

Freedom

So raise your hand

Freedom

[Chorus]

So raise your hand

One fist in the air

For freedom-dom-dom-dom

For being alive

Not having a care

For freedom-dom-dom-dom