European

Commercialised events such as Valentines Day or Christmas In July are the perfect excuse for a wee bit of indulgent eating. I don't really care for either but I'll always welcome a celebratory meal. If you're after a restaurant which... Continue reading Christmas in July at Lowenbrau Keller »

Not every suburb can be characterised by the restaurants within it, but Petersham's saturation of Portuguese restaurants has foodies queuing for a taste of Portugal. Today, I'm at Petersham Charcoal Chicken. While the name may suggest that you'll just find... Continue reading Petersham Charcoal Chicken - Portuguese Cuisine Restaurant »

This is my attempt to deal with my post-holiday blues. As I mentioned in the May e-newsletter (you can subscribe to this over on the right), this time, last year, I was taking my dream holiday in Europe. One of... Continue reading Razor clams and chorizo stew »

There's something really likeable about eating lots of small dishes. From Chinese yum cha to Spanish tapas, the experience of sharing small plates of delectable morsels with friends and family is always an enjoyable one. Coda sits at the basement... Continue reading Coda Bar & Restaurant, Melbourne »

While this Melbourne trip was filled with lots of new foodie discoveries, I kept up my tradition of visiting Madame Sousou every time I'm in town. I haven't written about this favourite in a while so thought I'd share with... Continue reading Madame Sousou, Melbourne (Re-visited) »

Here's the first of ten stories about my recent trip to Melbourne. Long time readers will know that this has become a yearly event which of course coincides with the Formula One Grand Prix. In fact, I think this was... Continue reading Claypots Seafood Bar »

Being self-employed means working from home for the majority of the week. Or if i feel like getting out, then from a cafe. Those who follow me on Twitter will have seen my latest find: Laptop Friendly Cafes. It is... Continue reading Badde Manors revisited »

Rice and pasta are kitchen staples I can't live without. And now, thanks to Blu and the team at Haystac, I can add Pearl Couscous (also known as Israeli couscous) to my list of must-have versatile ingredients. You can win... Continue reading Cooking with pearl couscous »

All day breakfast - coffee and fresh juice What I've been doing a lot of lately, is surrounding myself with other motivated and passionate individuals who have left their secure full-time jobs and are doing their own thing. There seems... Continue reading Pieno »

Gazebo Wine Garden's girls' picnics are such a wonderful offering. They're exactly my type of thing -a picnic where all you have to do is round up the girls! The food and wine is catered for, there's no worrying about... Continue reading Girls' Picnic at Gazebo Wine Garden »

Two months ago, I turned 25 and there was plenty to celebrate. In between all the drama of a quarter-life-crisis, I'd resigned from my day job to pursue the free-spirited life of an entrepreneur. So the last thing I wanted... Continue reading Turning 25 at Velero »

I'm a big fan of Time Out. I would never visit a city without first consulting the local Time Out guide. Time Out Sydney's Food Awards 09 winners were announced this week, so let's see who made the cut: People's... Continue reading The best of Sydney, according to Time Out »

Merivale's Winter Feasts have many talking -about its irresistable value for money and its risqué adverts. It is of course the follow up to the March into Merivale campaign where Justin Hemmes first convinced his top chefs to get their... Continue reading Ash St Cellar & Merivale Winter Feasts »

Santorini was like a flawless movie set. The sunsets glowed immaculately day after day and the white washed buildings were ever so impeccable. A panoramic view from any angle was breathtaking. I was sold as soon as I saw a... Continue reading Santorini: an almost perfect island »

I've been back in Sydney for almost a week now and if there was one country I wish I had spent more time in, it would be Italy. Due to the train strike in France, I spent an extra three... Continue reading Eating in Italy »

Etch was a beautiful space. It was decorated like my dream walk-in wardrobe. Massive mirrors, lush floral wallpapers, stunning upholstered lamp shades and gorgeous framed artwork. If there was such thing as casual fine dining, this would be it. The... Continue reading Etch »

From first appearances, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was just an average senior's bowling club bistro. Oh, how wrong I was! Zen's workmate DC has been a local at the club for decades and even celebrated his 50th birthday... Continue reading Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club »

You know you're in Melbourne once you've eaten breakfast or brunch out, more than dinner. Madame Sousou is a Parisian cafe/restaurant on busy Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. They have an amazing breakfast menu which stretches from housemade toasted fruit and nut... Continue reading Madame Sousou, Melbourne »

On this extremely late Sunday afternoon, we decided to brunch at Bello. I've been here a couple of times before and have loved their generous servings and location. It's a fabulous excuse to impulse shop, although you might not be in the mood after paying almost $10 for a bowl of wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream. Continue reading brunch at Bello's »

Saturday morning was cold... and that's the best excuse for a big greasy breakfast. Zen and I strolled down the street to the Mall. Cino Cafe has plentiful seats outside which was already starting to fill up at just 10.30am. We decided to step inside, away from the breeze, and placed ourselves in round leather booth chairs. The tables were slighly high... but this could have been the result of my slouching posture. On my left was a glass cabinent full of delicious treats. There were portugese custard tarts, cakes of all sorts, pasteries and more. Mmmm.. Continue reading Cino Caffe, Wollongong »