April 2007 Archives

Rocket Restaurant is one of those places you always talk about revisiting. They've got a sophisticated menu and a relaxing yet stylish interior. However, there's nothing really much beyond that. The service seems to suit chatty regulars... and to my surprise, the amazing dukkah and olive oil has now been replaced with room temperature bread and butter.

Zen and I decide to share the antipasto plate. There were fresh figs, goats cheese, prosciutto, grissini, a rich roast capsicum with sun-dried tomato, bocconcini and pesto tart, and more. It was a cold rainy day, and the entree was clearly not enough to share between two. Yet we were asked if we wanted a break before our mains were served?

Shortly after hinting that we were ready for our mains, Zen's seafood risotto, which was an impressive combination of prawns, swordfish, trout, mussels and vongole, arrived.

And I had the Wagyu. The gnocchi was in large chopped chunks but it so fluffy and warm. The wagyu was flakey, tender and hearty...

Because we failed to decide on one single dessert, we opted for the selection of desserts for two. Out came a colourful array tiny delicacies.

I really want to like Rocket. But it somehow doesn't seem as good as the first time. It would have also been nice if the petit fours weren't only rushed out after we had asked for the bill...

Rocket Restaurant
Cnr Help & Railway Streets Chatswood
Phone: (02) 9411 8233
Web: www.rocketrestaurant.com.au

Hoorah! A mini weekend getaway to celebrate the office's second birthday.

Friday 11.30am, last week, we all hopped on a coach to Hunter Valley. Two and a bit hours later, we wined and dined at Pepper Tree Vineyards, Tamburlaine, Petersonhouse, Hunter Valley Chocolate Company, Harrigan's Irish Pub and Oishii Restaurant! Talk about an action-packed weekend.

So... at the first wine tasting, I bought a lush dessert wine... it was sweet as honey: 2005 Boytrytis Semillon. I must admit though -I'm not at all a wine expert. After a while, they all taste the same. Here's what we swirled, sniffed, gargled and sipped...

Next was Tamburlaine Organic Vineyards. Ooh, so do organic wines give you less of a hangover? Apparently so, if drunk in moderation... because of its low sulphur dioxide content.

All throughout Hunter Valley were cute gardens and cosy cottages. Outside Petersonhouse were these adorable lanterns and garden chairs...

Inbetween the wine tasting, I craved something solid and starchy... so at Harrigan's Pub, we ordered 2 giant servings of wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce and another 2 giant bowls of fries with tomato sauce. The wedges weren't anything fancy... but they definately were cut the perfect size. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

A full day of vineyard hopping left me exhausted. Here's the view from our room at Harrigan's Pub. You never get to see this much of the sky in Sydney.

Dinner was at 8. Oishii Restaurant sits within Tempus Two's ultra-modern landscape. However, the food was average... so I didn't bother with any notes. Photos are below if you're still interested.

And then Ben, Hazim, Adam and Mat decided to see what gravity could do to their face...

Pepper Tree Wines
Halls Road, Pokolbin
Phone: (02) 4998 7539
Web: www.peppertreewines.com.au

Tamburlaine Vineyard
358 McDonalds Road Pokolbin
Phone:: (02) 4998 7570
Web: www.tamburlaine.com.au

Peterson Sparkling Wine House
Corner of Broke Road & Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin
Phone: (02) 4998 7881
Web: www.petersonhouse.com.au

Hunter Valley Chocolate Company
Corner of Broke Road & Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin
Phone: (02) 4998 7221

Harrigan's Pub
Broke Road, Pokolbin
Web: www.hvg.com.au/harrigans_pub.asp

Oishii Japanese & Thai Restaurant
Tempest Two Winery, Pokolbin
Web: www.tempustwo.com.au

More pics & bits on Hunter Valley below.

In welcoming the first couple of cold days, I constantly craved soup... or at least something spicy. It is no wonder there is such a high chilli consumption rate in Asia!

Strathfield is where I go when I want something local, quick and fast. There are Korean restaurants across every main street. Today, we decided to revisit Hyang Won, which is popular for the hot pots or barbeques. I love the spicy octopus, marinated beef, tofu and vegetable hot pot. Priced at $35, it is more than enough to feed 2 people. It is served piping hot with typical Korean condiments (kimchi, fish cakes, seaweed salad and caramelised potatoes).

Hyang Won Korean Restaurant
31 The Boulevarde, Strathfield NSW 2135
Ph. (02) 9746 5750

Dianne and Winnie with me at Cellini Restaurant, QVB

And now Winnie is back in HK :-(

April is awesome! How often do you get a 4 day weekend? I've always wanted to see a waterfall... so here was my chance.

The Minnamurra Rainforest is a 2 hour drive south of Sydney. There are 2 fabulous walks which take you through elevated timber boardwalks and swinging bridges. Part of it was so steep... but the workout was definately worthwhile. The waterfall was amazing! And it was lovely to take in deep breaths of nature... ah....

And here are some photos from Wollongong. Lighthouses, canons and more.

Visit the Minnamurra Falls or Wollongong.

The perfect end to a hearty dinner.

On the same night, after dining at Ichi ban Boshi, we strolled down to Darling Harbour's newest addition. The Lindt Cafe.

There were macarons...

and more macarons,

truffles,

and chocolates on display,

cakes,

and plenty more cakes!

This is the Chocolate Hazelnut Gateau. The menu descibed it as a layered vanilla bean cake with roasted nuts, gianduja and chocolate ganache. It was lovely... light and airy.

For lovers of rich chocolate... this is a uber moist cake made with 70% cocoa!

And my favourite of the three... Lindt's version of the black forest cake. Rich dark chocolate with kirsch infused cherries... mmmmm....

You might also want to check out my previous visit to their Martin Place store.

Lindt
124-125 Cockle Bay Wharf Sydney

(I refuse to write lengthy descriptions tonight. My eyes are sore... I'm tired... and I miss the long weekend!)

The waiting lines are ridiculous... but everybody loves ramen.

I can no longer call him my baby brother. He started kindergarten this year... and today, he turns five! A grown-up kid.

We celebrated an early birthday on Good Friday with a BBQ at Sydney Olympic Park's Bicentennial Park.

The night before, Christina and I stayed up to bake a batch of cupcakes. Some were decorated with pretty hearts, Autumn leaves... others had the letter B, and some the number 5...

Ah... the digital age... where my photos are time-stamped.

Think back a couple of weeks. Or even a month. Remember what you spent that Friday night doing? What did you have for dinner?

Well, I've retained all of that info to share with you (now that i'm back in action)... So... many weeks ago, Zen and I feasted on a giant seafood and meat platter at La Vigna Cafe in the Italian Forum. This is my second visit, and I found that the service was just as impressive. Hmm... which reminds me... I haven't read the Waiter's Rant in a while!

Within 10 minutes of ordering, an enormous plate of baby lamb cutlets, barbequed quails, souvlaki, spicy meatballs, Italian sausages, prawns, octopus, calamari, mussels, salad and chips were brought out...

For just $65, we stuffed ourselves silly. Thankfully, all the calories were burnt off by the end of our 7 hour Poker game.

See my previous visit.

Or check out their website.

Cafe La Vigna
Italian Forum
Shop 34, 23 Norton Street Leichhardt
Phone: (02) 9572 8599