Latest news with #Buttered
Time Out
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Korean restaurant Hongdae Pocha brings the heart and soul of Seoul's street food to Sydney
Korean food is well and truly having a moment in Sydney, and we can see why. From umami-sweet bulgogi to soft and crisp vegetable pancakes and funky kimchi, Korean food is a one-way ticket to flavour town. The new kid on the block? Hongdae Pocha, a 172-seat restaurant in Chippendale that brings the late-night soul of Seoul to Sydney, complete with sizzling Korean barbecue, chilled soju and neon lights. Started by the Vuza Hospitality group – the same guys behind Buttered, Allta and Funda – this place has just opened next door to the viral Korean bakery (they're the purveyors of the viral Korean salt bread). The chef in charge of Hongdae Pocha is Haeseung Choi, whose resume includes restaurant Jueun in Seoul and Firedoor here in Sydney. Firstly, context about the name: 'Hongdae' is a vibrant neighbourhood in Seoul, and 'pocha' is short for pojangmacha – Korea's street stalls that serve late-night eats, soju and beer in a no-frills setting. It's a big part of Seoul's nightlife, where delicious flavours and good times go hand-in-hand. The team wanted to capture that magic and serve it to Sydneysiders. Craving something punchy? Try the gochujang yukhoe – Korean beef tartare jazzed up with gochujang (Korean red chilli paste) and served on a crisp hash brown. Or go for the yetnal tongdak, a whole deep-fried chook served two ways: one half with a mustard-soy glaze and spring onion, the other slathered in a sweet-sour-spicy sauce. Of course, there's a delish range of banchan (small side dishes). Says chef Choi, 'Pocha is a big part of Korean nightlife – it's where food and drink come together in a relaxed, social setting. With Hongdae Pocha, we wanted to capture that same energy for Sydney – approachable, vibrant and true to the way we eat and socialise back home.' The drinks list is equally fun – soju cocktails, frosty Korean beers and plenty of makgeolli (rice wine) to keep the good times flowing. Geonbae! Find out more here. Address: 5 Central Park Ave, Chippendale NSW 2008
Sydney Morning Herald
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Try TikTok-famous ‘tissue bread' – and kiss your troubles goodbye
One of the most popular lunch items is the ham, tomato, lettuce and wasabi-mayo Salty Boi. Thanks to the seasoned bread, it's a va-va-voom improvement on the average meat and salad roll. Tissue bread orders are only matched by requests for cake cups bearing Asian-style sponge layered with milk cream and seasonal fruit. Heady stuff. I try the white grape version and it's a relief to eat that fruit within all the sponge and sweet cream. While it seems like there's a new viral treat on every Sydney street corner these days, Buttered's baked goods aren't just for Instagram's sake. The art and beauty behind the creations is clear, all the work of pastry chef Philip Choi, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He says Buttered's creations are inspired by childhood memories of neighbourhood bakeries in South Korea. I say they're an express route to small moments of happiness. Three other new-wave bakeries to try Banksia Bakehouse Famous for buttery croissants garnished with fillings and toppings, Banksia's special this June is a gravity-defying coil of white coffee ganache creme patissiere layered with walnut praline and topped with mascarpone and candied walnuts. Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney, Tenacious Bakehouse Few things are as beautiful as slicing into baker Yeongjin Park's huge version of a Portuguese tart, its glistening miso caramel top oozing down burnished pastry and bright custard. Don't miss the taro cream croissants either, with bellies purple like jacaranda blooms. Pantry Story If anyone knows how to pull crowds with new styles of baked goods, it's Tiara Sucipto, co-owner with Hari Wibowo of this cafe-bakery on Sydney's western artery. The menu changes weekly but the taro mochi croissant and beef pie are a sure-bet.
Time Out
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
In Sydney's Koreatown you can experience the best of K-culture without the journey
With its buzzing nightlife scene, cutting-edge cultural landscape and incredible cuisine, South Korea is quickly becoming a top holiday destination for Sydneysiders looking for an inspiring and delicious escape But if you don't have the dosh to fund plane tickets all the way to Seoul, fear not. In the heart of Sydney's CBD – specifically along the Haymarket stretch of Pitt Street – you'll find Sydney's very own Koreatown: home to a vibrant mix of Korean restaurants, shops and bars serving up Big Seoul Energy in spades. And Squid Game fans, listen up! To celebrate the final season of Netflix's hit series, Netflix will be putting on some very special Squid Game experiences in some of the following Koreatown venues: Sil Bi Jip The good times seriously roll at this lively, affordable Korean street food diner and bar. Our advice? Order a round of Somaek (soju and beer cocktails) and the owner Dennis will make them at your table – splashing Korean beer into soju with lively theatrics. Alongside a strong line-up of tasty street food-style dishes and affordable drinks, you'll find retro games and live music every Saturday from 7pm. Butchers Buffet The name of this beloved Korean BBQ spot tells you all you need to know. Pile your plate up high with unlimited fresh cuts of beef, pork and chicken, then get grilling – all-you-can-eat seatings last for 90 minutes, and you'll fill your belly for less than $50 per person. Hama Film X Kono Karaoke This photobooth and karaoke bar is your one-stop-shop for late-night, Korea-style fun. It's open until 2am Sundays through Thursdays, and until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, so you can settle in for a good few hours of karaoke and walk away with a head full of memories and a fist full of photos from the fun. A 13-song karaoke session will set you back just $20, so it's a super affordable (and fun) end to your night. Allta Allta is an elevated Korean restaurant that serves delicate, carefully crafted degustation menus in a stunning, marble-trimmed space. The intimate restaurant seats only 12 guests, so you can guarantee you'll get the VIP treatment. Buttered This Korean bakery in Chippendale is best known for its salt bread – the sweet and salty buttery rolls that have gone viral on social media. But there's a lot more on offer at Buttered – come for the salt bread, stay for the light-as-a-feather tissue bread and incredibly Instagrammable waterfall cake. 789 Korean BBQ This popular Korean barbecue joint is by the same team behind 678 Korean BBQ in Haymarket and Eastwood, so you know there are experts on hand firing up the grill. Come to this sprawling Darling Square establishment for delicious caramelised meat and excellent soju. Sáng by Mabasa Found on Fitzroy Street in Surry Hills, away from the main hustle of Koreatown, this small, family-run eatery specialises in modern Korean dishes. The lunch menu is affordable and delicious – with the crisp kimchi pancake, bulgogi and golden fried chicken wings being our picks. At night, there's an ace set menu for $85 per person. Hansang Haymarket This family-run restaurant serves one of Sydney's most beloved beef soups, and so much more. The super extensive menu features all of your Korean faves – from bibimbap and hot pot to a must-order seafood pancake. Arrive hungry. Hana Cosmetics This local-loved cosmetics store in the heart of Haymarket is stocked to the gunnels with Korean beauty products. It's open until 8pm every night, so you can pop in on your way to dinner or karaoke and stock up on K-Beauty essentials. Rococo Seoul Want to dress the part? Rococo Seoul is one of Sydney's very best Korean fashion stores, selling an excellent line in Korean fashion from some of the country's favourite brands. You'll find this fashion haven in Chippendale's Central Park Mall.
The Age
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Try the Tiktok-famous tissue bread – and kiss your troubles goodbye – at this boutique bakery
I'm here to kiss my troubles goodbye, however briefly, by tackling the bakery's version of 'tissue bread', which is something of a TikTok sensation. Made by baking laminated croissant dough in a square baking tin, the crunchy edged fist-sized cube reveals gauzy layers of soft pastry when pulled apart. Buttered also loads its tissue bread with chocolate, matcha, pistachio and flavours, plus a particularly marvellous lemon meringue. The plain, pistachio and matcha varieties (I have many troubles to farewell) work surprisingly well dipped into Buttered's frothy Signature Velvet sweet corn drink. It's essentially a corn-flavoured latte, although there are other (much) sweeter flavours including butterscotch, royal chestnut and dalgona, or ppopgi, the traditional Korean honeycomb-flavoured treat made famous in the Netflix series Squid Game. The counter also holds perfect rows of the signature 'Salty Boi' − salt bread, aka sogeum-ppang. It looks like a cross between a croissant and a dinner roll, made by baking a finger-sized log of salted butter into a coil of cold-fermented dough. The added butter creates a crispy base below the roll's crunchy exterior and soft filling. Pocked with several air holes, the Salty Boi accommodates a lavish spree of sweet and savoury fillings. The most luscious filling is potato, egg and mayo, followed by butter-glistening garlic cheese. A corn cheese version is swoony and plump and has a lovely pop of sweetness against the bread's saltiness. (That saltiness comes from the salted butter, by the way, not from extra sodium in the dough.) One of the most popular lunch items is the ham, tomato, lettuce and wasabi-mayo Salty Boi. Thanks to the seasoned bread, it's a va-va-voom improvement on the average meat and salad roll.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Try the Tiktok-famous tissue bread – and kiss your troubles goodbye – at this boutique bakery
I'm here to kiss my troubles goodbye, however briefly, by tackling the bakery's version of 'tissue bread', which is something of a TikTok sensation. Made by baking laminated croissant dough in a square baking tin, the crunchy edged fist-sized cube reveals gauzy layers of soft pastry when pulled apart. Buttered also loads its tissue bread with chocolate, matcha, pistachio and flavours, plus a particularly marvellous lemon meringue. The plain, pistachio and matcha varieties (I have many troubles to farewell) work surprisingly well dipped into Buttered's frothy Signature Velvet sweet corn drink. It's essentially a corn-flavoured latte, although there are other (much) sweeter flavours including butterscotch, royal chestnut and dalgona, or ppopgi, the traditional Korean honeycomb-flavoured treat made famous in the Netflix series Squid Game. The counter also holds perfect rows of the signature 'Salty Boi' − salt bread, aka sogeum-ppang. It looks like a cross between a croissant and a dinner roll, made by baking a finger-sized log of salted butter into a coil of cold-fermented dough. The added butter creates a crispy base below the roll's crunchy exterior and soft filling. Pocked with several air holes, the Salty Boi accommodates a lavish spree of sweet and savoury fillings. The most luscious filling is potato, egg and mayo, followed by butter-glistening garlic cheese. A corn cheese version is swoony and plump and has a lovely pop of sweetness against the bread's saltiness. (That saltiness comes from the salted butter, by the way, not from extra sodium in the dough.) One of the most popular lunch items is the ham, tomato, lettuce and wasabi-mayo Salty Boi. Thanks to the seasoned bread, it's a va-va-voom improvement on the average meat and salad roll.
