Modern Australian

Yes, this is another celebratory meal. I am not one to overlook any excuse for a celebratory meal and the completion of the first project of my new food marketing agency seemed like a good enough excuse as any other.... Continue reading Ripples, Sydney Wharf »

Choosing a restaurant which will satisfy my parents' palate is a tough job which I am often left in charge of. It's an easy choice if we want Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine but when it comes to celebratory restaurants, there... Continue reading A celebratory dinner at Flying Fish »

For those who love suckling pig, I believe I have found the best tasting roast suckling pig on Earth. Imagine a perfect rectangular cut, a glossy thin layer of crackling that is consistently crisp right to the edge and just... Continue reading Cutler & Co »

This may sound cliche but I reckon I have the best boyfriend in the world. Upon arriving in Melbourne, he surprised me with a pre-booked lunch on The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Those who 'like' me on Facebook (isn't it confusing... Continue reading The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant, Melbourne »

With Zen being a massive plane enthusiast, and I being the keen traveler, we were both thrilled to discover that a dear friend's hubby flew his very own plane. Not as the pilot of a commercial airline of any sort,... Continue reading A day trip from Sydney to Merimbula »

Yesterday marked the last day of service and closure of one of Sydney's finest restaurants. I was lucky enough to have dined there not too long ago, in celebration of my seven year anniversary so here is a tribute to... Continue reading Forty One Restaurant »

"Have a beer and a conversation so you don't stuff around with it" says Craig of MuMu Grill, as he gives us advice on how to properly cook beef. The key tip is to look for chargrill marks. Grill it... Continue reading Beef & Beer Class at MuMu Grill »

With a new start to the blogging year, I couldn't help but look back at all the yummy photos that didn't make it to the blog in 2009. So I'm dedicating this first month to my rather large blog back-log.... Continue reading At the table with Masterchef's Julie Goodwin, Margaret Fulton and Fountain Sauces »

In celebration of the new year, I thought it would be suitable to look back at all of my best eats in 2009. Here, I've included some of my most frequently visited restaurants as well as a few memorable favourites.... Continue reading Top 10 list of the best I've eaten in 2009 »

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 »

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 »

Cafe Du Coeur was a little French cafe on Bay Street which recently went through a brand revamp. The result being Cafe Qube. The menu, the scattered collection of random retro furniture and the iMac slideshow of staff polaroids are... Continue reading Cafe Qube »

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 »

Burgers are made across Sydney every day -in homes, at the corner milk bar, in fast food joints and pubs. Over the last few years, we have seen more gourmet burger restaurants pop up to glamorize the bun and patty... Continue reading The best burgers in Sydney »

I think Uchi Lounge is the perfect place for a first date. Now, I've been with Zen for almost 7 years and can't quite remember what first dates are like, but how can an equation which includes awesome sake cocktails,... Continue reading Uchi Lounge »

Slow food was "founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices... Continue reading MuMu Grill's Take It Slow Dinner »

Random. The food doesn't stick to a theme. The rich burlesque decor doesn't suit the laid back music. The service was at times slow and rarely consistent. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It caters for everyone and with... Continue reading Roxanne »

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 »

Despite having dined at Rockpool Bar & Grill at Melbourne more than 2 months ago, I can still recall much of the very memorable meal. The service was immaculate and staff whom were well educated on the menu were keen... Continue reading Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne »

Madame Fling Flong is a hidden gem. I wouldn't have come across it if it weren't for Karen's 25th birthday. This tiny plush tapas and cocktail lounge bar sits above Soni's at Newtown on busy King Street. The extensive cocktail... Continue reading Madame Fling Flong »

What's better than dining at an ocean front restaurant? Not much, especially with a view like this. I was blown away by the surreal twilight landscape, the massive oceanic gentleness and the post-rain glittering rainbow! Yes, and the whales were... Continue reading Ocean Restaurant »

There was no better place to meet a close girlfriend's baby girl than at one chef's hat Flying Fish. It was her first fine-dining experience and I am proud to say that she was very well behaved. At only 5... Continue reading Flying Fish »

Perfect skies, live music, good food and great company. The City of Sydney's Dank Street Festival was back again yesterday and attracted thousands of Sydneysiders. I was one of the many who took up on the free shuttle bus offer... Continue reading Dank Street Festival 2008 »

I was going to wait until I had eaten all 5 salads this week before I blogged about it, but why wait? The best thing about blogs is that you readers get the latest pics and info with minimal turnaround... Continue reading Bourke Street Bakery's daily salads »

You could say that dining at Marque IV was the highlight of my recent trip to Hobart. I dare to even place it on par with the Restaurant Of The Year - Quay. I thought it was definitely the best... Continue reading Marque IV Restaurant »

Restaurant 373 is a relatively new restaurant that works. Local fresh produce, warm furnishings, great casual service, funky appetisers and a fabulous 8 course degustation. We started off with olives, garlic popcorn and chilli grissini... And then slapped on lots... Continue reading Restaurant 373, North Hobart »

The plan today, was to have lunch along Glebe Point Road. There were these wooden bench seats beside a tall open window which caught my eye... and soon we were soaking in the sunshine. Badde Manors is a small, vibrant... Continue reading Badde Manors Cafe, Glebe »

I recently discovered Sydney Olympic Park Golf Centre's weekend breakfast special and felt ready to retire. Nothing could be paired up so well with golf than a gourmet big breakfast of bacon, eggs, grilled tomato, mushroom, hash brown and chipolata... Continue reading Breakfast and golf »

Considering I celebrated my last birthday at Tetsuya's, the only worthy restaurant for my 24th birthday would have had to be Quay; recipient of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide's three chefs hat since 2003 and Restaurant Of The... Continue reading Quay »

When in search of a great restaurant in an unknown territory, I'd often flip through the Gourmet Traveller restaurant guide. In no time, I was deciding between Restaurant Two (two out of three stars, ranked 49th in Australia and 3rd... Continue reading e'cco »

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 »

Calinere's sophistication is evident upon a glance. The light bulb installation is a modern day chandelier. And the floral wallpaper completes the glamour of such a small restaurant. Continue reading Caliniere »

At work, the production team had our first afternoon-out last week. What was planned as a long lunch at Wildfire turned into a quick bite at Equilibrium. Ah, the things you have to sacrifice... Continue reading Equilibrium »

Piato Grand sits within a shiney new apartment block and has only been operating for a couple of months. It's sister restaurant, which i've heard operates under the same name at the mall, has been running for over 3 years. This uber contemporary restaurant has all the ingredients that make it a place you would visit time after time. The specials menu was definately popular, as the rosemary quail with baba ganoush and the seafood risotto was sold out early in the night. Continue reading Piato Grand, Wollongong »

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 »

There isn't a worst feeling than being cheated... and I would least expect it from a place as renouned as Kingsley Steakhouse. It started off well, as with all relationships. Kingsley appeared popular and I was intrigued. It's menu boasted lavish prices... so I set my expectations right up high. Continue reading Kingsley Steakhouse »

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. Continue reading Rocket »

Fifteen Melbourne. It's the restaurant from TV. It's Jamie Oliver's. There's definitely a novelty factor to dining at Fifteen -which explains the set-up of a reservation line and the long waiting list! Two months ago, when Zen and I were planning our next trip down to Melbourne, I persuaded him to make a booking for dinner. And so here we are. It wasn't dinner... but we felt pretty lucky to have scored a table for six for lunch (considering that the weekend coincided with the F1 Grand Prix and the FINA World Championship). Melbourne was busy. Continue reading Fifteen Melbourne Restaurant »

What better place to celebrate Valentine's Day than at the top? Astral is a one-hatter from this year's SMH Good Food Guide. This was something we had booked months in advance. From within a glass elevator, we were greeted with 270 degree views of Sydney Harbour. Oooo... ahhh... the interior is also rather stunning. The furnishings were plush and sophisticated, the chandeliers were rich... and around us, couples in love admired the gleaming city skyscrapers. Continue reading a blast from the past... Valentine's Day 2007 @ Astral »

What else could have brought me to Brunswick Street but the Alannah Hill factory outlet! Brunswick Street is probably the King Street (of Newtown) or the Oxford Street in Sydney. So we snagged a seat in the open terrace and watched the Brunswick Street crowds walk on by. Continue reading The Fitz @ Brunswick Street, Fitzroy »

For the last four days, Zen and I have been hiding out in Melbourne -another of our spontaneous holidays. I love the internet age... we were able to plan and book everything from airfare, accomodation to restaurants, all just a day before flying! Continue reading Royce Hotel, Melbourne »

Merry Christmas! Last night, I was put in charge of our family's Christmas dinner. So instead of last year's roast, fresh prawns and lobster mornay, I decided to stock up on some oysters, scallops and green king prawns. I also did the gingerbread baking a day in advance! Continue reading Christmas dinner @ home »

On Friday night, Dianne, Florence and I celebrated an early Christmas at the Corn Exchange Restaurant for a $70 seafood and dessert extravaganza. As you can see, the variety was endless! *drools* Continue reading Corn Exchange Restaurant @ Four Points by Sheraton »

Zen and I have now been officially dating for four years. I love you babe! But I lied... about having made a reservation... and then I got caught out! So instead of going to Astral, I made an eleventh hour call to Aria Restaurant. They had one table available if we promised to finish by 7.45pm, or another available from 9.30pm. I frantically took the earlier table, and convinced Zen to speed into the city. Forty minutes later, we were parked on Macquarie Street, and wondered why the restaurant was only 60% full. So we took our time and admired the stunning Harbour views. Continue reading 4 Years at Aria Restaurant »

Jet Bar/Cafe is neatly tucked into the front of the Queen Victoria Building. After confirming there was available seating, we soon crawled up a steep twist of stairs, and were led to a poorly lit table. The service was cold and unattentive... it must have been at least 40 minutes before our lunch arrived. Continue reading Jet Bar/Cafe, QVB »

Cellini's Bar and Restaurant offers cafe style food inside the glorious (and historic) QVB. We ordered the fettucine carbonara and a roast capsicum and zucchini melt to share... The fettucine carbonara was the perfect serving size for one. The pasta was al dente, and was intertwined with a sublime creamy pesto sauce. Continue reading Cellini's Bar and Restaurant, QVB »

Early this week, the office headed down to Bar333 to welcome Jo to our team... Upstairs, the restaurant (Infusion333) is seperated from the lounge area. The interior glows with vivid red furnishings and loud energetic lights. We sat in the lounge area and ordered from the bar. Continue reading Lunch @ Bar 333 »

Since I just posted on Dooleys at Lidcombe, I thought it was only fair to write about the much classier sister restaurant. Waterview was opened some time in 2005, and targets the business lunchers and families. It offers a cafe oriented menu which features lots of gourmet goodies. Continue reading Waterview - Dooleys at Silverwater »

I've always been a regular at Dooleys Bistro. And since they've introduced the $8 rump steak on Monday and Tuesday nights, I can now enjoy a quick bistro dinner at a great price. The kids meals are awesome too... at $8, you can choose from the fish and chips, nuggets and chips, spaghetti bolognaise, or the roast with vegies, and also get a free soft drink or juice, and ice-cream! Continue reading Dooleys Bistro, Lidcombe »

Back in March this year, when Zen was still working at Horwath, we had dinner at the James Squire Restaurant. I remember feeling very agitated... this being fuelled by the slow service, stiff wooden chairs and my grumbling stomach. Our order was a little overpriced and lacked the extra 'oomph'. Continue reading James Squire Brewhouse & Restaurant »

May this year, Zen and I went to Strangers with Candy to celebrate our 3.5 year anniversary. Intrigued by its name, it was a restaurant I've been saving for a special occasion. Brett greeted us and led us to a romantic candle lit table for two. The courtyard was deceptively warm and cosy. The service was awesome, and the food is well balanced with some exotic flavours. Continue reading Strangers with Candy »

Unique flavours, with an interesting a la carte menu that is updated regularly. Continue reading Bistro Lilly, Observatory Tower »

On arrival, we're served complimentary Pea Soup, which had a lovely hint of Saffron. All entree's are $18 (We tried the Tasting Selection, which was $36), main's are all $19.50 and desserts are all $14. The brulee is the best I have ever tasted! This is definately one of my favourite restaurants. It is great value for money, and I want to try almost everything on the menu. Continue reading Rocket Restaurant »

Pictures from Danks Street Depot (Interior, Reuben Sandwich, Beef Sandwich). Continue reading Danks Street Depot »