Monday 7 December 2009

Tian Ran – OMG, seriously, OMG……

It was pretty damn amazing.  We miss Magic Wok so much.  I remember when I heard about it closing, it was like a part of me died.  Yes, I’m being melodramatic, but as much as we love Kuan Yin and Loving Hut, we really don’t have a replacement for Magic Wok.  Sooooo, we decided to drop into the Gold Coast and visit Tian Ran on the way home from Byron Bay.  Woah – the Gold Coast and Byron are polar opposites! 
Enough ranting, food:
Coconut
Mmmmmm we’ve become addicted to the young coconuts from Woolworths thanks to Cam’s sister.  They’re probably incredibly bad for the environment, being flown from Indonesia/Thailand, but OMG, soooooooooooo good.
Entree 1: BBQ Pork Buns
Tian Ran - BBQ Pork Buns
Not as good as the Magic Wok ones (they weren’t bright red in the middle), but they were good.  Very ‘meaty’ texture inside.
Entree 2: Crispy Fish Strips
Tian Ran - Fish Sticks
From the taste, Cam worked out that these were probably Lamyong Fishy Strips (no idea what the real name is).  They were really nice (and that’s saying something, ‘cause I’m not a fan of the fishy substitutes).
Entree 3: Chicken and Corn Soup
Tian Ran - Chicken and Corn Soup
I’ve had this soup before – Cam brought some home for me when I was writing my thesis and he went to the land of the leather people (the Gold Coast) with friends.  Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom !
Side dish: Nasi Goreng
Tian Ran - Nasi Goreng
This was delicious!  I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was delicately flavoured (tomato and chilli powder).  And super super yummy.  (I’m going to run out of superlatives soon!)
Amy’s Main: Salt and Pepper Chicken
Tian Ran - Salt and Pepper Chicken
Deep fried tastiness.  We thought these were Lamyong Soy Nuggets.
Cam’s Main: Black Pepper Chicken
Tian Ran - Black Pepper Chicken
Again Lamyong Soy Nuggets.  It had that tasty cornflour glaze thingy that Chinese food has.  Not too peppery – Cam really enjoyed this.
Cam’s dessert: Banana Fritter
Tian Ran - Banana Fritter
I can’t vouch for the flavour (I don’t eat banana), but Cam had a huge grin on his face the entire time he ate this.
We really enjoyed Tian Ran.  The service was great and not too fast.  The guy who owns it (we presume) was really lovely.
It was a great end to a fantastic weekend.

9 comments:

Susan said...

I love Tian Ran, I have only been there twice but always mean to drive down again to feast there.

I only found out Magic Wok was gone after the fact. I once ate there so often they knew my voice onthe phone, then they sort of put actual cream on my vegan ice cream and it all went a bit strange. Still, I miss their salt and pepper tofu - no one does it as well as they did!

Next time you should try the 'beef' at Tian Ran - it is some mushroom soy thing that just melts in your mouth in a delicious sauce of saucy goodness.

Heck, I need to head down there again soon!

Anonymous said...

Amusing topic

Theresa said...

Ooh yummy, that looks amazing. Banana fritter has me drooling. And I can't believe they would import green coconuts from SE Asia when there are so many coconut trees around NQ!

BrisVegan said...

I love Tian Ran too, as I said on the PPK. Glad you enjoyed it. I have even taken die hard omnis there without complaint.

Ann of pressure cooker reviews said...

Just looking at those foods make me hungry already. I am Asian and love rich and flavorful meals...I love pork bbq buns and Nasi Goreng and nothing beats natural coconut juice...yum yum!

Unknown said...

You don't eat banana? WWwwhhaatt? ;-) Nice pics, makes me hungry!

Jenn, HelloVeggie.Org

dallas dwi lawyer said...

Oh my goodness, I'm in envy. Everything looks so great!

Vic Robinson said...

Looks like some great food! I am really interested in the fish things! Yum!

Unknown said...

We're going there tomorrow night - YAY!!!!!!!!! We eat meat but this is our FAVOURITE RESTARAUNT!!! OHgod I'm drooling looking at your pictures and thinking about it can't wait!!!