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Most foodies have a pair of "eating pants" or an "eating dress". These pieces of clothing are tremendously forgiving around the waistline and are perfect for excessively indulgent periods of eating. Admittedly, a decent ratio of my wardrobe consists of these eating pants and eating dresses. I'm rarely found in a bandage dress and I don't own a single piece of shapewear underwear or Spanx! I value comfort too much and I like to be ready to eat 24/7. You never know when a feast is to be had!

However, Berlei recently introduced a new Dig Free product to their hosiery range which is designed without a front seam and with a smoothing waistband. The Dig-Free range is less heavy-duty than Spanx and offers that extra level of support without constraining the body. I've always hated the idea of fat being squished and pushed to odd places so this seems to be a good middle ground!

In the spirit of being my "indulgence" sponsor, they invited me to go on a date night wearing a pair of Dig Free leggings! There's also a chance for you to win your very own indulgent date night - just scroll down for the competition details!

So as the weather has gotten cooler and it has become too silly to venture out on a chilly night with bare legs, I rather enjoyed the warmth and disguised tummy-tucking support of my Dig Free leggings! I even had a Sex and The City moment where I thought I was tricking my body into thinking it was thinner, ha!

I chose 4Fourteen as the destination for my indulgent date night because I have been wanting to try everything on their menu since they first opened!

Freshly shucked Clair De Lune oysters ($4 each); chicken wing with parfait, tortilla and apple chutney ($7.50); pigs ear toast with smoked potato ($14); mussels with salted fish and batlow apple cider sauce ($29)

Stepping in, we're immediately warped into the rhythm of the open kitchen and my Dig Free leggings and I ooze right into the buzzing vibe.

The menu is designed to share and is conveniently categorized into groups of 'to nibble', 'rolls', 'small plates', 'large plates' and 'salads and starches'.

Mixed grain salad ($12)

To start, we share some gorgeous Clair De Lune oysters which are served with their lids loosely placed on top. I love the notion of eating oysters this fresh so effortlessly - it's as though we're in the wild and the shucking process wasn't even necessary. 

A must-have starter is the chicken wing with parfait, tortilla and apple chutney. The chicken wing is deboned for pleasurable eating; the skin is crisp and the parfait is pure comfort. It was probably designed to be one big mouthful of amazingness but I struggle and awkwardly split it into two very messy bites.

Colin Fassnidge is known for his nose to tail philosophy so we find ourselves intrigued by dishes such as the pigs ear toast. While the ear is coated with a crumbed batter, the texture of the ear is more noticeable than the deep-fried kind. It is soft like pulled pork with the inner layer of cartilage, still offering a light chewy crunch. There's a dollop of smoky potato sauce on the side which binds the flavours beautifully and leaves you wanting more and more. 

We also have the mussels with salted fish and batlow apple cider sauce. These mussels are the biggest I've ever seen. In one hand, I'm holding a ginormously plump, juicy and sweet mussel and in the other hand, a wedge of chargrilled sourdough, soaked in the wonderful juices. What an experience!

It is worth noting that the flow of dishes are smoothly timed between the share plates. There are pauses between 'courses' offering just the right amount of time to digest and crave more.

Duck egg with Alaskan crab, asparagus and peas ($22); roast pork with smoked kipflers and rhubarb ($35); fennel pollen meringue with berry granita ($14); spiced vanilla brulee cream with pear & apple popsicle ($14)

On the home stretch, we're served the mixed grain salad which is a wholesome mix of things such as quinoa, pine nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and puffed rice; a breakfast style dish of a sunny-side up duck egg with crab, asparagus, peas, watercress, and cos lettuce which is delicate and fresh in all the right ways; and the roast pork with smoked kipfler potatoes and rhubarb which pushes me right to the edge! The succulent roast pork paired with the tangyness of the rhubarb and the complex flavours of kale is divine. If only I weren't so full already. We could have done without one dish but looking back, it's hard to say which I would knock out!

For dessert, my fennel pollen meringue is fragrant and sharp - the berry granita accentuates the floral notes of the meringue. The daily popsicle is also hard to turn down. Today's is pear and apple, served with a spiced vanilla brulee cream with a nutty crumble.

We definitely chose the right restaurant for an indulgent date night!

4Fourteen
414 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, NSW
Phone: (02) 9331 5399
Web: 4fourteen.com.au

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Win the ultimate date night

Thanks for Berlei's new Dig Free hosiery range, you have the opportunity of winning your very own ultimate date night! This could be a restaurant dinner for two, plus limo transfers, one night's stay in a hotel and a Berlei Dig Free product! Valued up to $1000!

To enter the competition, leave a comment on this post, answering the competition question:

What is the secret to your "eating" outfit?

Note: Competition closes Friday 24 May 2013 at 5pm AEST. This competition is running across multiple blogs and one lucky winner will be selected on Wednesday 29 May, 2013 before 6pm (AEST).

Please refer to the full terms and conditions.

This post is sponsored by Berlei. Opinions are my own.

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Sydney's cheap eat scene recently welcomed the addition of Chanoma Cafe to Regent Place (where Azuma Patisserie used to be). Matcha green tea is the focus of the menu here - there's green tea soft serve ice-cream, green tea lattes, green tea frappes, green tea espressos and a range of quirky parfaits that are very photogenic on Instagram ;)

Matcha drinks range from $4.90 to $6.90. The iced yuzu green tea ($5.50) is straight iced green tea with yuzu juice, a Japanese citrus I absolutely adore. Ask for your sugar syrup on the side so you can control the sweetness.

Chanoma is designed like a fast food restaurant so don't be surprised that your hot beverage is served in a takeaway coffee cup even if you're dining in. The matcha cappuccino ($4.50) is beautifully frothy and smooth but it's disappointingly small for it's price. 

Although not obvious on the menu, the shaked chips ($4.40), which make a tiny appearance on the bottom corner (whereas over two thirds of the menu are beverages), are a must-order. Reminiscent of Maccas' shaker fries, these are available in distinctively Japanese flavours such as wasabi, teriyaki, soy butter & dried seaweed (the best!) and chilli & garlic.

The matcha shiratam parfait ($9.50) is matcha soft ice-cream with rice cakes, sweet red bean paste, Pocky chocolate biscuit sticks, cornflakes, fruit, whipped cream and green tea syrup! The presentation looks like child's play in an appetising sort of way. I envy the cook who gets to make these all day, I'd love to dunk green tea ice-cream cones upside down into a cocktail of Japanese sweets and watch it ooze everywhere; maybe Chanoma should introduce a DIY version!

I return a week later with a strong hankering for the Japa-dogs, a North American fusion Japanese trend that consists of hot dogs with Japanese toppings.

The hot dog buns are soft and fuffy with a slight bite, they're much nicer than the standard flimsy hot dog buns. The spicy meat lovers dog ($5.50) is a choice of Slovenia kransky, German blutwurst or Spanish chorizo with spicy miso pork mince, white beans and mayo; and the tonkatsu dog ($6.20) is a Slovenia kransky wrapped with ham and deep-fried with a panko breadcrumb crust.

They're a little small for dinner, but with a drink and a side of chips each, we make a meal out of it.

Although... Tenkomori is only just next door. Japadog for starters, ramen for mains, then back to Chanoma for dessert?

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Chanoma Cafe
Regent Place, 501 George Street, Sydney NSW
Phone: (02) 9767 5465