Rhodes
Background
Rhodes was named after the home of an early resident, Thomas Walker (1791–1861), which was built on the north-eastern side of the peninsula. Walker named his property Rhodes after his grandmother's home, Rhodes Hall, in Leeds, England. The house was demolished in 1919. Heavy industry dominated the area from 1911, including cast iron and chemical manufacturing, resulting in the land needing remediation over the last twenty years to remove contaminated soil, although some contamination remains. Nearly all of the residential areas on the eastern side of the railway are low to medium density of one to two storeys. The western side is zoned for high density, with buildings of four to eights storeys. We are focused on the western side of the railway.
Taste Cultural Tour of Rhodes
Taste Cultural Tours is a charity and social enterprise, started by the Benevolent Society in 2010 (now independent), who train local-to-the-area people to promote cross cultural understanding, restaurants and other small businesses and food.
We met our Taste food tour guide, Arron Ngo at Chinel Chicken & Night Pocha, 2/7 Rider Boulevard, great Korean Fried Chicken. It opened early 2022. The renowned Korean Fried Chicken is a relatively new Korean dish. The first modern Korean fried chicken franchise, Lim’s Chicken, was established in 1977 in the basement of Shinsegae Department store in Seoul. They boomed there and now Korean Fried Chicken franchises have also opened in the United States. Coals to Newcastle anyone?
We entered Rhodes Central and head to HeyMeat butcher, with fine looking cuts and a great range of meat and poultry, including a delicious range of Asian flavours.
We had our second snack, kimbap, at the Korean Deli. Kim means seaweed, Bap means rice and the rice always includes sesame oil and salt (as opposed to sushi which includes vinegared rice). Kimbap is a fast food, meant to ‘grab and go’. Spam(!) might be a typical ingredient.
Our next stop was Lilong by Taste of Shanghai for delicious dumplings. Legend says that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty that lasted from 206BC to 220 AD. It was a difficult winter and many were experiencing ill effects from the cold. To help people warm up, Zhongjing took mutton, herbs and chilis and wrapped them in dough then steamed them to bind every thing together and keep them warm. These treats helped people overcome the cold weather and the herbs worked to improve blood circulation and prevent frostbite. Regardless of the origin, its a fine story.
We then headed downstairs to Maopo, which specialises in Chongqing cuisine from Western China. We shared two types of noodles - meat and veg - absolutely delicious!
The Zetciti Asian supermarket was where we headed next, great variety of Asian foods and special ingredients from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and beyond. We also bought some Asian liquor - spirits in a can and a hangover cure, but not sure how to use it other than avoid hangovers!
Our final stop was for great gelato at Tasty Town Gelato. The owners, Tommy and Wilke, are partners in business and in life, and have a serious case of sweet tooth. Tommy is Australian born, half Asian/ half European and focuses on the mix of Eastern and Western cultures for their desserts. Wilke is from The Netherlands and wants her Dutch mini pancakes and other Dutch delicacies to shine through. They attended the Carpigiani Gelato University to learn what it takes to make the best quality gelato and sorbet from scratch, sourcing some of the best local ingredients and the freshest fruit. The Gelato University has operated since 2003 in Bologna, training 2000 people per year locally and 4000 people per year online or through affiliations in other countries. Amazing flavours, amazing taste.
We say goodbye to our group and head home.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes,_New_South_Wales
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/sydney-korean-chicken-bbq-restaurant-ruffles-fashion-brand-chanels-feathers/a40b51a8-8765-46db-a1a5-3cff3fd75d1b
https://chefonefoods.com/what-is-a-dumpling-meaning-and-history-behind-this-delicious-food/#:~:text=Most%20experts%20believe%20that%20dumplings,ill%20effects%20from%20the%20cold.
https://www.tastytownsgelato.com/ourstory
https://www.gelatouniversity.com/it/chisiamo/chi-siamo
