Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

FilmTastic - Introducing you to the best in Film and Food.

FilmTastic - May 2010

As the weather is cooling down, it is the perfect time to eat some spicy and hot food to warm up. I ate at this restaurant in Chinatown this week. I've been here a few times as their Sichuan dishes are delicious.

The restaurant provides two types of dining experiences:
-A La Carte
-Hot Pot/Steamboat

If you are looking for good quality authentic Sichuan dishes, the A La Carte menu is great. Though a bit pricey, it is definitely worth a try. A warning though, their dishes can be EXTREMELY spicy, so make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before ordering. I especially remember ordering their "Ma Po Tofu" (Grandma Tofu), which noone on the table ended up eating more than one spoon from because it was just so spicy. However, the other dishes we ordered were nice and their vegies were very fresh. I think it's because their food is spicy it makes their vegies taste especially fresh and sweet.


Whenever I come here I prefer going upstairs for their Hot Pot/Steamboat. It is a great experience when you go with a big group of friends, as they offer buffet and the atmosphere is great for catching up with friends and everyone can eat at their own pace.. One complaint though, the service is horrendous and 90% of the waiters have extremely limited english. The soup base and variety of food is good though, and the price is reasonable. Again, be careful when ordering the spicy soup, even "mild" can be too spicy for some people. I generally ask for chicken soup and choose no-seafood buffet and whoever on the table wants spicy can get some chilli sauce. I like choosing the sesame sauce. This is great on a cold day and with a lot of friends, it is more about the experience than the food.





Location: 3/51 Dixon St Haymarket NSW 2000, (02) 9211 8122 (Generally need bookings).
Times: Open Daily 12pm-10pm
Price: Average $20 a dish OR from $20pp for Hot Pot Buffet.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
80
Vote
   


The Spy Next Door

May 13th 2010 14:52
A decent family movie. Great if you have kids.



One of my favourite actors, Jackie Chan starrs in this movie, and when I first heard of this movie, I was quite hesitant to watch it, afraid that this will spoil the image of such a great martial artist. However, I think it's because of his silly looks and his tendency to starr in comedies that saved him from falling into a point of no return.

We have seen other action stars attempt to do family movies, which have come out lame, cheesy, and ultimately changed their image to a point that they can't seem to go back to action as we can no longer take them seriously. However, with Jackie Chan, he is such a versatile actor that he can jump around between roles easily.

"The Spy Next Door" ties in with some of Jackie Chan's previous movies, which gives it a sense that it is a continuation of his previous movies rather creating a completely new character. So even though it is a family movie, those that have seen his other movies get reminded that he is not just some lame boring family movie actor but a great action star that is attempting something new and expanding to a larger audience. Rather than what would seem like a downgrade, it feels like he is upgrading himself by expanding.

The movie is definitely intended more for the kids, with cheesy jokes and child actors. However, the action scenes are still worth it for the adults. How can you ever get sick of the stunts that Jackie Chan pulls?. The child actors are not bad and some of their lines, though cheesy, still made me laugh a bit because it suited the family genre.

Don't go into this movie expecting hardcore fight scenes and endless action. Find a nice quiet night, gather the family, and sit around the couch. This is definitely a movie to share and a great chance for some family bonding.

Location: At Home. Hire or buy this on DVD.
Times: Anytime.
Price: Under $20. I watched this for free at a friends place.
Overall Rating: 4/5
73
Vote
   


More Posts
1 Posts
2 Posts
1 Posts
56 Posts dating from January 2008
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
Moderated by Bumbliibee
Copyright © 2012 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]