Miso (World Square, Sydney)

'Miso' Japanese Resturant is part of the Masuya Group, who are renowned for their fresh ingredients and fine food. We arrived during peak hour lunch on a Friday afternoon where we expected there to be a queue of customers but there was only a few people waiting for tables in front of us, with the wait being approximately 10 minutes.

The interior is plain but stylish and modern, being a relatively new place. The menu offers a wide assortment of foods from set menu's, bento boxes, donburi set's and udon's. The portions look rather large in the pictures and the real food looks like the pictures.

I ordered the Tonkatsu Pork Loin Set ($15.00) while my friend ordered the Pork Miso Katsu Set ($15.00).

The Tonkatsu Pork Loin Set/Pork Miso Katsu Set came with an accompaniment of sides including:

• Konyaku- yam potato starch cooked with sake and soy
• Dashimaki Tamago- traditional style of omelette flavoured with dashi stock
• Pasta- white sauce and diced vegetables
• Tofu- fried
• Miso sauce (Sauce on the side for Tonkatsu Set)
• Salad- shredded cabbage with house dressing
• Miso soup

The tonkatsu was crispy, crunchy and tender. However, the piece of pork had a high portion of fat to one side while the other side had a perfect meat balance. The accompanying sauce tasted like BBQ sauce but I found the miso sauce a tad bit strong. The sides tasted great with my favourite being Konyaku which had a hint of sesame oil.

We also ordered a serving of Soft Shell Crab ($6.80) but was disappointed at the portion size. The crab was crispy but lacked the seasoning as there was no sauce but a wedge of lemon. Overall, a great Japanese Restaurant that serves fresh food at a reasonable price.

Shop 20, World Square ( 3 minute walk from Town Hall Station)

Monday to Friday Lunch - 11:45am to 2:30pm

Monday to Saturday Dinner- 5:30pm to 9:30pm

Bondi Junction (Ghermez Cupcakes & Ramen Kan)

Spent the day shopping at Bondi Westfields. After reading all the rave reviews about Ghermez Cupcakes, I really wanted to try them. Went up to level 5 and bought 4 cupcakes to take home before they sold out as I heard they run out quickly. I was rather disappointed with how they tasted. The butter cream was a bit too sweet which left an after taste of butter in the mouth and the base was not as moist but rather dry. At $3.80 per cupcake, I don't think it is worth the price. I prefer the cupcakes at Cupcakes on Pitt St.

1. Chocolate Marshmallow

2. Pistachio and Rose

3. White Chocolate

4. Espresso- Was in a hurry to eat it and forgot to take a picture.

We all felt like eating Japanese for lunch at Ramen Kan. I enjoyed my meal while my friends didn't really like their meals.

1. Teriyaki Yakisoba $11.50
(Friend said this dish was way too salty)

2. Tan Tan Ramen $11.50
(I enjoyed this dish but the meat was lacking with only a few bits of pork mince)

3. Crab Crispy Yakisoba $14.50
(Friend said it tasted good at first but the overload of sauce got overpowering)

4. Gyoza $5.90
(Found these Gyoza's quite small and overcooked)

Ghermez Cupcakes
Westfield Bondi Junction
Level 5, 500 Oxford St
Ramen Kan
Shop 3, Oxford St
Bondi Junction

Betty Crocker Vanilla Cupcakes

Betty Crocker released a new cupcake mix and since I was lazy to make my own I decided buying the pre-mix was the easiest option. It's fairly easy to make these cupcakes as all ingredients are provided except for the butter and water. Follow instructions according to packet.

Combine the ingredients and mix:

After folding in egg whites into the mixture, place into cupcake paper and then into the OVEN! Once cupcakes are springy and cooked, leave to cool.

Frost with given icing.

Cupcakes were light and springy but a little too sweet for my liking. Next time I think I will make my own from scratch.