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Saturday 28 September 2019

14 North 108 East: REVIEW

Sydney is growing.

And by growing I mean the parameters of what constitutes 'Greater Sydney' has changed, and as a result, there are new burgeoning Sydney suburbs you've never heard of.

Because of this, one could argue the geographical centre of the city of Sydney is changing.

Gone are the days (we hope!) that people from the eastern suburbs don't venture further than Leichhardt for a good feed, and as a proud 'westie' (and still living in Sydney's western suburbs), I love hearing about new restaurants - and whole new living precincts - popping up and demanding to be visited.

One such suburb is Emerald Hills, which is minutes away from the new train station at Leppington, and the M5 Motorway (that's another thing about westies - we are so used to taking motorways that a long journey to the other side of Sydney invariably includes several motorways and myriad tolls).

Nestled near Emerald Hills is the gorgeous Lakeside Golf Club Camden and the rolling Camden Hills, as well as a brand new residential area and... a whole new shopping and eating precinct.

Enter, one of THE best (okay, I am going to say it, the actual best!) Vietnamese restaurants I  have eaten at: 14 North 108 East.

Where do I start? From the prompt, super friendly, and supremely knowledgeable venue manager Alessandro (aka Alex) serving us, to the next level, taste bud tingling dishes, to the light and airy ambience, relaxed vibe, and the beautifully decorated venue, this place is completely worth the visit for locals (but they already know that) to diners who want to be transported (and I don't mind just clocking up some k's on the car) to another culinary level.

Below are just some photos of my experience as posted on Instagram, with more pics of my delicious dishes below.

Oh, and speaking of geography, what does the venue name mean?

It represents the actual map coordinates of Pleiku, a Vietnamese city famous for its production of coffee.

And coffee here is a very important element of the venue, not only because the owners of 14 North 108 East are the team behind the group of coffee stores, Espresso Warriors, but also because the intention of the venue is that it is a coffee stop with many interpretations of coffee. Wait until you try the various blends!

We had:

Sweet and Sour Chick Pops $9
chicken drumettes with a sticky sauce

Saigon Seafood Spring Roll (2) $7
pork and seafood mixed with taro and woodear mushrooms

Puffed Rice Tempura Prawns $12
king prawns with crispy rice coating and dipping sauce

Banh Xeo $24
savoury turmeric pancake, thit nuong, prawns and beansprouts

Bodhi Noodles (VG) $18
wok breath dark soy noodles with tofu, mushrooms and vegetables

Buddah Claypot (VG) $19
tufu, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, with soy

Betel Leaf Beef (2) (N) $15
grilled seasoned beef mince wrapped in betel leaf with peanut sauce

Thit Nuong - Pork Skewers (2) (N) $6
grilled lemongrass pork neck with peanut sauce

Luc Luc $25
marinated beef with banana blossom, herbs, fried onion with lemon and fish sauce
                                 
NGแปŒT(Dessert) Longan Flan $15
chilled Vietnamese creme caramel served with caramelized longan sauce

North East Sago (N) $15
coconut tapioca with fresh caramel infused pineapple topped with crushed peanuts

Banana Spring Roll (N) $15
deep fried banana wrapped in pastry with butterscotch sauce and coconut ice-cream











What an experience at @14north108east_sydney - the most exceptional of #vietnamesefood right here in Sydney. I promise it’s worth the trek to the burgeoning suburb of #EmeraldHills for a sensory experience for your tastebuds. Stay tuned for the #josiesjuicejournalist #sydneyfoodie #foodreview but for now, here’s what you’re salivating over is this: Sweet and Sour Chick Pops: chicken drumettes with a sticky sauce, which is a crunchy chicken ๐Ÿ— sensation with a super addictive salty sauce. Saigon Seafood Spring Roll: pork and seafood mixed with taro and woodear mushrooms. No words! And... have you ever seen such a FULL #springroll Puffed Rice Tempura Prawns: king prawns ๐Ÿค with crispy rice coating and dipping sauce. Like nothing you’ve experienced! A must! Buddah Claypot: tofu, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, with soy... the best #tofu ever! And that eggplant ๐Ÿ† Thit Nuong - Pork Skewers: grilled lemongrass pork neck with peanut sauce... a standout dish and also a must!
A post shared by Josie Gagliano (@josiesjuicejournalist) on








Below, the hand painted mural by local Sydney artist Sophi Odling, inspired by Sophi's travels to Vietnam:







Check out the site, where you'll see that this excellent venue has not one but two locations!

Emerald Hills and Woden.

See more plus the menu, right here: https://www.north14east108.com

To see the dinner menu we indulged in, go here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cc8ec184d871101dac89ab2/t/5d3fd16a6620060001a310f5/1564463467724/emerald_DINNER-menuA3.pdf


Thursday 19 September 2019

'The Bachelor' 2019: Matt Chooses Chelsie

'The Bachelor' 2019 is now over!

But life - at least in TV fairytale land - is just beginning for Matt Agnew (that's Dr Matt to you) and Chelsie.