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My favourite type of nightspots are the ones that have delectable cocktails and mouthwatering menus. It has to have both and not just one without the other.

Tapas and cocktails

I love Low 302 'cause not only does it satisfy my 'favourite nightspot' criteria, but it also has an amazing line-up of bands and some very cozy lounges.

Tonight, I'm here with Winnie who talks delightfully of her new life in China. She's been working overseas for a few years now and vividly tells me that her breakfast is often bought from a hole in the wall -literally. As I begin to image this whole new world of hole-in-the-wall eateries, I'm hit with a sensory overload of deliciousness. Fresh deep-fried breadsticks, just wrapped dumplings...

These thoughts soon fade as our parade of tapas and cocktails are served.

Awesome cocktails

My El Prata cocktail ($16) is a mix of orange marmalade, passionfruit and lime juice shaken with Aperol and Pisco, served short. Awesomeness is the only word I can use to describe it (sorry -been watching too much of How I Met Your Mother!).

The tapas range from $7 - 22 and are available both day and night. There are also seasonal specials which means there's no excuse for not visiting Low 302 week after week.

I can't decide between having the oysters au naturale or with ginger beer jelly so opt to have one of each. The ginger beer jelly is subtle in taste and adds to the oyster's plump natural creamyness.

Freshly shucked oysters with lime or ginger beer jelly (4 pieces for $16)

The zucchini flowers ($14) are stuffed with three cheeses and served with an intensely aromatic stringy bark honey. One of the specials today was a smoked salmon dip with Lavosh bread. It is a combination that is irresistable. We also have the chargrilled baby octopus ($14) with sticky balsamic dressed and seafood risotto balls (arancini, 4 pieces for $12) which are a divine snack -crunchy seasoned crumbs encase a mouthful of creamy risotto. Yum!

More tapas: zucchini flowers, arancini balls, smoked salmon dip

It was cute seeing the different shaped tapa plates piece together on our table like a puzzle that was meant to be together.

I've never said no to churros ($11) before and continue the pattern here. However, the dipping sauce is runny like a hot chocolate so we end up eating the cinnamon and sugar encrusted churros by itself. They're finger-burning hot but clearly not enough to share between two.

Another round of churros and cocktails anyone?

Churros with chocolate dipping sauce

Low 302
302 Crown Street, Darlinghurst / Surry Hills
Web: www.low302.com.au
Phone: (02) 9368 1548

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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 to do was organise a function. But I did it anyway.

Velero sits on Woolloomooloo Wharf and offers sexy alfresco dining. Their fuss-free function menu featured various options including the $55 set menu which is what I went for.

Sourdough with marinated olives and my cocktail (I forgot what it was...)

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$55 set menu

Tapas to share
Marinated olives with herbs, garlic, chilli, lemon, orange and fennel seed
Freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters dressed with lemon
Croquetas de Jamon
Roast mushrooms with chilli, garlic, herbs & Manchego
Deep-fried cuttlefish served with smoked chilli aioli
Pan-fried chorizo picante with chickpea puree and peppers

Mains, a choice of
Roast wild barramundi with chorizo, roast peppers, chickpeas, herbs and olive oil
Grilled Jindalee sirloin with patatas a lo pobre and roast garlic and paprika butter
Roast spatchcock with pan fried wild mushrooms, cavalo nero and tozino
Fettuccine with portobello, pine and porcini mushrooms, parmesan and parsley
Seafood paella with prawns, mussels, cuttlefish, chorizo and saffron

Sides to share
Rocket and manchego salad with herbs and PX balsamic
Patatas Bravas: fried potatoes with salsa picante and aioli

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The tapas were all individually delicious but the serving portions didn't seem thought-through. The serving sizes were a little bit too small and there was never an even number of items to distribute around.

Sydney rock oysters, deep-fried cuttlefish and roast mushrooms

The Sydney rock oysters were served au natural -they were tasty and seductive. The cuttlefish was my favourite of the tapas. They were cooked to perfection... Piping hot and not too chewy.

Croquetas de jamon and chorizo

The croquettes (or in Spanish: croquetas) were scrumptious too. Inside the lightly breaded fritters was a fluffy smooth mix of mashed potato and ham. It was just what we needed to combat the cold breeze.

Rocket and manchego salad with herbs and PX balsamic

As for the mains, strangely enough, everyone pretty much ordered either the paella or the sirloin. However, the unfortunate thing about fusion restaurants is not knowing what you'll be getting. Velero, being a mix of Spanish and Italian, was supposed to give us the best of both worlds. And it did, until the paella was served. Because it wasn't served on a traditional paella pan, we didn't get the crisp bottom layer of golden rice and the half of a lemon was most definitely more than enough. According to my guests, the serving size varied from one to another as well.

But the good news is that everyone who ordered the steak (including me) gave it the thumbs up. The paprika butter was so flavoursome, it added another whole dimension to my Jindalee sirloin -which by the way, was a perfect medium.

Side dish of patatas bravas

Seafood paella

Grilled Jindalee sirloin with patatas a lo pobre and roast garlic and paprika butter

Overall?

Hit: We had really lovely service matched by the beautiful waterside views of the city skyline and promenade.

Miss: The food was a slight let down and there was a $5 per person cakeage fee.

Group photo

Thanks to the fantastic support of my family and friends, the last 25 years has been a memorable one. The next 25 will no doubt be full of endless opportunities and fun times. And to you, my dear readers, thank you for your words of encouragement and for sharing my love of good food.

Love,
Jen
x

P.S. There's still 6 days left to bake a tart for your chance to win a $175 Julie & Julia prize pack. 5 runners-up will also win double passes. Click here for more information.

Velero
Shop 2, 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo
Phone: (02) 9356 2222
Web: velero.com.au

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 Choice
Winner: Glebe Point Diner, Glebe
Runners-up: Bodega, Surry Hills; Quay, The Rocks; Marque, Surry Hills; Longrain, Surry Hills

I'm a bit ashamed that I haven't yet dined at Glebe Point Diner. There are all round positive reviews from other food bloggers, namely, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry, Double Cooked, Lemonade Land and Steph's Food Journey and along with mountain loads of press and editorial reviews, Glebe Point Diner is an obvious people's choice.

Best New Restaurant
Winner: Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney
Runners-up: Sepia, Sydney; Spice Temple, Sydney; Etch, Sydney; The Beresford, Darlinghurst

Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne is an absolute favourite. While I haven't been to its Sydney sister, can anyone tell me if it's any different?

Etch is simply full of pretty spaces and their macaroni is to-die-for. The revamped Beresford trattoria is also a clear winner (runner-up in this case) with the locals.

Best Cafe
Winner: Cafe Sopra, Waterloo
Runners-up: Deus ex Machina, Camperdown; Wall, Surry Hills; Ruby's Diner, Waverley; Kazbah, Balmain

Anyone who has been to Kazbah's breakfast banquet will be an advocate. Hmmm, why isn't Dank Street Depot a runner-up?

Best Desserts
Winner: Universal, Darlinghurst
Runners-up: Pier, Rosebay; Quay, The Rocks; Longrain, Surry Hills; Rockpool, The Rocks

I haven't been to Universal, nor Pier or Longrain. But if Quay is any benchmark for the winner, I have to get myself to Universal. I adore Quay's eight texture chocolate cake and their pear creme caramel, sauterne jelly, pear icecream and caramel cream!

Best Steak
Winner: Fix St James, Sydney
Runners-up: Bistro Moncur, Woolahra; Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney; Tabou, Surry Hills; Mad Cow, Sydney

Wow, I haven't been to any of these places. What about Prime? Chophouse?

Best Fixed Price Menu
Winner: Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Surry Hills
Runners-up: Assiette, Surry Hills, Atelier, Glebe; Vini, Surry Hills; Marque, Surry Hills

Best Seafood
Winner: Sepia, Sydney
Runners-up: Tetsuya's, Sydney; Manta, Woolloomooloo; Fish Face, Darlinghurst; Pier, Rose Bay

Am I the only one who hearts Flying Fish, Masuya and Ocean Room?

Best Burgers
Winner: Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney
Runners-Up: Plan B by Becasse, Sydney; Ruby's Diner, Waverley; The Burger Joint, Darlinghurst; Paul's Burgers, Sylvania

You will have no doubt seen my recent list of where to find the best burgers in Sydney. I still stand by it -although from reading the comments, I need to get myself to Rockpool Bar & Grill and Counter Burger!

Best Cheap Eat
Winner: Black Star Pastry, Newtown
Runners-up: Din Tai Fung, Haymarket; Guzman y Gomez, Newtown; Mamak, Haymarket; Gumshara Ramen, Haymarket

Seriously, how can anything beat Mamak? OK, maybe #chronic ramen is close, but a pastry shop? It must be bloody good, and I have yet to try. But the bigger issue here, is how 6 xiao long bao (soup dumplings) for $8.80 can be considered a cheap eat!

Best Sandwiches
Winner: Malibu, Surry Hills
Runners-up: Pilu Kiosk, 'On the Beach', Freshwater; Big Bite, Sydney; Hong Ha, Hurstville; Plan B by Becasse, Sydney

Best Patisseries
Winner: Adriano Zumbo, Balmain
Runners-up: Croissant D'Or, Potts Point; Yellow, Potts Point; Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills; Sweet Belem, Petersham

Ah, Zumbo. Post-Masterchef, Zumbo appears to be the real winner with endless queues and requests for his macarons, croquembouche and the chocolate mousse cake.

Best Noodles
Winner: Gumshara, Haymarket
Runners-up: Pho An, Bankstown; Twisted Noodle Bar, Sydney; Menya Noodle Bar, Sydney, Tan Viet, Cabramatta

I think ramen should be in its own category. But regardless, you'll still find me every fortnight slurping up $7 noodles at Dong Ba in Bankstown.

Best Thai
Winner: Spice I Am, Surry Hills
Runners-up: Longrain, Surry Hills; Sailor's Thai, The Rocks; Chat Thai, Sydney; Crocodile Senior, Sydney

Best Yum Cha
Winner: Fisherman's Wharf, Pyrmont
Runners-up: Marigold, Sydney, Sunny Harbour Seafood Restaurant, Hurstville; Sky Phoenix, Sydney; Golden Unicorn, Maroubra

Best Tapas
Winner: Bodega, Surry Hills
Runners-up: Ash St Cellar, Sydney; Delicado, McMahons Point; Sean's Kitchen, Pyrmont, Catalonia, Kirribilli

Bodega, can anything beat it? I think Spanish Terrazas, Velero and Cantina may be close contenders for runners-up.

Best Pizza
Winner: Lucio Pizzeria, Darlinghurst
Runners-up: Pompei's, Bondi Beach; Rosso Pomodoro, Balmain; La Disfida, Haberfield; Pizza Mario, Surry Hills

Errr, Pizza e Birra anyone?

So what do you think? Are these the winners or losers?

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 gear off. This time, they were back and just as naked beneath their winter coats.

At the launch party back in June, I was très impressed with plenty of dishes, but it was Ash Street Cellar's creamed snapper and fennel soup with gremolata that had me captivated.

Without much persuasion, Wynn and her hubby John met Zen and myself there one night after work. Tucked in a laneway behind the The Ivy, you somehow fall into a European fantasty of intimate outdoor dining complete with gorgeous French cafe chairs. It's a pity Ash Street Cellar doesn't accept bookings because I would have otherwise had dined here many times before.

Ash Street Cellar's Winter Feasts offer was 3 courses for $35 including a glass of wine or a James Squire.

Spanish Jamon Iberico

However, we were quite hungry tonight and with my recent return from Barcelona, I felt it was only necessary to satisfy my cravings with 2 plates of Spanish Jamon Iberico. I was glad we topped up on the $35 Winter Feast because once the food had arrived, I noted they would be sensational for lunch but left you yearning for more at dinner.

The first plate of jamon iberico was generous which made the second look some what rushed and incomplete. The melt-in-your-mouth texture was beautiful.

Creamed fennel soup with leek and gremolata

My first course was naturally the creamed (not sure if there was snapper) fennel soup with leek and gremolata. It was exactly the way I remembered it to be, only this time, in a much larger serving -hooray.

The boy has the whitebait, forgetting his dislike of eating a fish whole. Their barely there crumbled batter makes them delicious and flavoursome, even though the remains of a small plate of fish heads may tell you differently.

Fried whitebait with chilli mayonnaise

My main course of Italian pork sausage had a gorgeous aroma but looked like it should have belonged to a banquet of tapas and not served solo. It was presented on a small bed of cabbage and caramelized onions and garnished with fresh parsley leaves -all of which turned a sausage into a hearty meal.

Italian pork sausage with caramelized onions

Meanwhile, I didn't hear much from my dining companion regarding his smoked salmon which can only mean good things.

Smoked salmon with garlic potatoes

Chocolate pretzels with caramel sauce

Gorgonzola piccante with quince and fruit bread

The desserts were all simple items but executed brilliantly. My crumble was divine. The tangy fresh orange segments were balanced sublimely with lemon curd and rich shortbread crumbs.

Fresh orange segments, lemon curd and short bread crumbs

While we ended up spending more than $35 per person (on additional drinks, bread and jamon), I still think it's fabulous value for money.

Here's also a sneak peek at the offers around the other Merivale venues. Special thanks to Melissa at Merivale for inviting me to the Merivale Winter Feasts launch party as VIP! (Yes -it was awesome not having to fight over food with the general public, whilst balancing a DSLR!)

Bistro CBD

Simun Dragicevich's gougeres -cheesy choux puffs, duck rillette with beetroot, cornishons en croute and white chocolate tartlettes

Est.

Peter Doyle's avocado, king crab and mint on lavosh; tartare of ocean trout, cucumber, ponzu and coriander and tuscan bean stew and braised beef cheek tarts

Lotus

Dan Hong's tuna tartare with sweet wasabi

Mad Cow

Christopher Whitehead's goat's curd, pear and rocket mini tart, our signature beef tartare and chocolate brownies

Sushi e

Ura San's ocean trout sashimi

Teppanyaki

Akira Urata's king fish skewers with Asian salsa, mini wagyu penny burger and Beijing duck 'ivy style'

Uccello

Massimo Bianchi's prosciutto san daniele and grissini and tiramisu

Merivale Winter Feasts are available as 1, 2 or 3 courses with a glass of wine or a James Squire, Monday to Friday, 12 noon - 2pm and 6 - 8pm. Go to merivalewinterfeasts.com for Winter Feast menu options and more info.

Ash St Cellar
1 Ash St, Sydney
www.merivale.com/#/ivy/ashstreetcellar

I'm half way through this 4.5 week eating extravaganza and I've finally gotten around to doing this blog post.

Where have I been and what have I done?

Well, I've taken almost 3000 photos, I have fine dined at some of the most stunning restaurants including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Le Cinq and I have discovered some local favourites. In between all of that, I have caught up with a few friends including, fellow food blogger, Helen, who runs World Foodie Guide. We had some superb dumplings and noodle soups at Ba Shan which seemed outrageously priced in comparison to that available in Sydney's Chinatown, but once you stop converting everything back to Aussie dollars, you realise that the food was indeed delicious and executed with fine detail. I will be doing a blog post on Ba Shan later on.

This week, I've started craving home cooking and have found it almost impossible to find a quality Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant around France. Paris Hanoi was pretty good but missed the little things such as sate sauce or hoisin sauce for the Pho soupe de boeuf (beef noodle soup) or variety of mints for my Tom Bun Nem, vermicelles de riz, crudites avec crevettes sautees et nems (vermicelli with sauteed prawns and spring rolls).

Back to the beginning, one of the first restaurants I dined at was 1 Michelin starred, The Ledbury. The chef is Brett Graham, an Aussie who has been trained by the very best at The Square. With so many deletable flavours in the a la carte menu, Zen and I opted for the tasting menu so we can devour a bit of everything. It was 9 courses for £70 and £108 with wine. We started with a beetroot meringue with foie gras and gingerbread crumb -a combination which melts in your mouth. It was strangely similar to something I've had at Centennial Parklands Dining which was offered at the Taste Of Sydney launch party. Who copied who, I wonder.

We were then offered a choice of the bacon and onion broiche which was flavoursome and fluffy or white sourdough, a favourite stable. Below was the first course, a softly poached pheasant egg with jerusalem artichoke veloute. Standout dish was the celeriac which was baked in ash with hazelnuts and wood sorrel for 45 minutes and served with a kromeski of wild boar -tender and fragrant with aniseed and crisply fried with breadcrumbs on the outside. The gorgeous aromas of the celeraic were exposed when the waitor sliced open the crust before taking it back to the kitchen for its final touches.

Other courses included a generous serve of roast foie gras with glazed endive, blood orange and toasted grains, flame grilled mackerel with cured mackerel, avocado and shiso, shoulder of Pyrenean milk fed lamb cooked for twenty four hours with truffle creamed potato and buttered celery, roast monkfish with peas, morels and marjoram, warm minature churros, creme brulee, pressed gariguette strawberries with hisbiscus and petit fours of macaroons, chocolates and marshmallow.

Softly poached pheasant egg with jerusalem artichoke veloute at The Ledbury

When asked if we needed a cab after dinner, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Afterall, we had eaten for over 4 hours and I was so full, I had to waddle my way out. But one does not expect the restaurant to order a chauffeur with a glitzy Mercedes Benz S320 -although now having seen more of Notting Hill, a fashionable suburb where every second car is a Porsche, I can understand why. It was definitely a luxurious and memorable ride back to the serviced apartment. The chauffeur told tales of his two wives as I fell in and out of a snooze. No celebrities spotted in Notting Hill unfortunately.

I also checked out the food halls at Harrods and Selfridges. As I wandered from department display to another display, I remember telling Zen that I was in Heaven time after time. Of course, I had said the same thing when shoe shopping or patisserie hunting. Europe has so far proven to be a girl's playground... the more money you have, the more fun it is!

Patisserie display of fruit tarts at Harrods

New fruits and vegetables which I have discovered include beef tomatoes and physalis.

Grocery display of beef tomatoes

The next fine dining experience was at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay -a place where I had made a reservation 2 months in advance for 9:30pm. Howver, still adjusting to jet lag, we slept in, called to apologise for our delay and arrived at 10:30pm. If only Gordon Ramsay was there himself, I am sure he would have turned us away furiously!

But our 3 course for £90 meal was marvelous. I loved the inbetween surprises, such as the sherbet and pop rocks in the mango soup with coconut cream which was served before dessert and tasted like a Weis bar, only better.

Below is my scrumptious starter, ravioli of lobster, langoustine, and salmon poached in a light bisque with lemongrass and chervil veloute.

I am puzzled as to why Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, formerly 13th, has crashed out of the Top 50 Restaurants list this year, as the service was perfect and the food, divine -it has sure impressed me.

Lobster ravioli at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Mango soup with coconut cream with surprise of space rocks (sherbet and pop rocks) at the bottom

I couldn't leave London without having done high tea -afternoon tea as they call it. Thank goodness for my obsession with planning because Claridge's turned out to be extremely busy and we probably wouldn't have gotten a table without a booking.

Zen almost fell off his chair when he saw that it was £33 for a selection of sandwiches including Scottish Oak smoked salmon on rye sourdough, Dorrington Gammon ham on milk bread, organic egg mayonnaise on brown bread and organic cucumber and rocket on onion bread, freshly baked raison and apple scones with Devonshire clotted cream and Marco Polo jelly, a selection of French pastries and tea.

Afternoon tea at Claridge's was such an enjoyable experience. There was live music performed by a pianist and violinist, massive glistening chandeliers and comfy royal armchairs in a room which was dressed as one of those posh ballrooms. There was even a butler in the ladies' room which was gorgeous enough to be a bedroom. But before you get the wrong impression, it was not at all pretentious.

One thing I haven't yet mentioned is the discretionary 12.5% service charge which restaurants add to the final bill. This has slightly hiked up my budget so be warned!

Me at afternoon tea at Claridge's

Scones at Claridges afternoon tea in London

On another night, I had dinner with some ex-colleagues. What is more exciting than seeing familiar faces on the other side of the world? I chose Le Cafe Anglais at the recommendation of Helen. I started with amazing oyster fritters which were served with a herb vinaigrette and their renouned parmesan custard and anchovy toast. Below is my sublime fish soup served with shredded Gruyere cheese and spicy aioli which prepared me for the wonderful world of France, to which i travelled to a week later.

Fish soup at Le Cafe Anglais

Because we didn't have time to eat at any gastropubs, I had to squeeze in this local favourite. My deep-fried cod with chips was the best there is. Our accompanying Greek Salad was scrumptious too, but what I really loved was the clean, crisp batter and the beautiful flaky fish.

Fish and chips at The Golden Hind

Then stepping out as tourists, we went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. If you don't mind getting your feet trampled on, then this is for you.

Guards at Buckingham Palace

I had 3 days in Barcelona and all I really did was eat. Barceloneta was great for that: fantastic seafood and well priced desserts. I ate my fair share of razor clams which are meatier and tastier than the typical clam, drank up on sangria and fresh juices from Boqueria Markets, and ate plentiful paellas, pintxos (toothpicked tapas on bread) and tapas -pan tomaca con Jamón (tomato bread with Serrano ham), Patatas a la Brava (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli) and Croquetas de Bacalao (cod fish croquettes) are some to name.

Sangria at La Gavina

Creme Brulee at La Gavina

Me at a Boqueria Markets fruit stall

Freshly squeezed juices at Barcelona's Boqueria Markets

Pintxos at Sagardi bar

Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aoili

Jamon

Razor clams at Taller de Tapas

Seafood paella at Taller de Tapas

The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Road
Notting Hill, London, W11 2AQ
UK
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7792 9090
Web: http://www.theledbury.com

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road
London SW3 4HP
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7352 4441
Web: http://www.gordonramsay.com/royalhospitalroad

Le Cafe Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens, London W2 4DB
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7221 1415
Web: http://www.lecafeanglais.co.uk

The Golden Hind
73 Marylebone Lane, London
A short walk from metro stations: Bond Street or Marble Arch

Claridge's
Brook Street, Mayfair
London W1K 4HR
Phone: +44 (0)20 7629 8860
Web: http://www.claridges.co.uk

La Gavina Restaurant
Placa Pau Villa, 1
Palau de Mar -Port Vell
A short walk from metro station: Barceloneta
Web: http://www.lagavina-rte.com

Boqueria Markets
Web: http://www.boqueria.info/Eng/index.php

Sagardi Bar
Web: http://www.sagardi.com

Taller de Tapas
Plaza Sant Josep Oriol, 9
Web: http://www.tallerdetapas.com

Stay tuned for the next post on Paris, Cannes and Nice! In the meantime, happy eating :)

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 at this family-run restaurant on its opening day some time last year. When we agreed to stroll down the street to Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club for brunch, I went sans-camera, not expecting anything photo-worthy. (Pictures below taken with my brand spanking new iPhone)

Imagine is more of a bistaurant (bistro & restaurant). Its menu is down-to-earth yet slightly fancy but sticks to a traditional Mediterranean fare. The prices are higher than a $10 pub steak but its food has many talking. On a Friday or Saturday night, expect to find the place booked out, with regulars even taking the food out to a different seating area.

Zen and I share the seafood paella which was about $56.90 from memory. We're advised that it will take about 25 minutes to be cooked so we start off with some garlic bread.

The Turkish bread was piping hot and buttery and could have had a little more garlic. However, it was delicious to the boyfriend, the non-garlic eater who eats garlic occasionally.

Our meals were thoughtfully brought out at the same time.

DC has the lamb casserole which is served with a side of steamed seasonal vegetables. He compares it to his mother's cooking which is a good sign, although stating that it's missing a crucial ingredient which he can't pinpoint. I think anything substantially close to one's mother's cooking is bloody good.

The seafood paella smelt scrumptious and included a generous spread of mussels, moreton bay bugs, king prawns and baby octopus. The rice was of the perfect consistency and I simply loved the tomato and saffron colours which stained Zen's fingers, hehe :)

Garlic bread

Lamb casserole

Seafood Paella before waiter served it

My plate of seafood paella

Make a booking and be surprised.

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Imagine Restaurant
Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
Foleys Rd, Gwynneville, NSW
Phone: +61 (2) 4229 4132‎

Shopping in Melbourne is sensational... and every time my energy depleted, a San Churro Chocolateria franchise seemed to come to my saviour. They were seriously everywhere! Brunswick Street Fitzroy, Lygon Street, Harbour Town & more.

Chocolate tapas, truffles and more, on display

A double serve of churros included 6 hot Spanish donut sticks and a choice between white, milk and dark liquid chocolate or dulce de leche (Argentine caramel). The churros were irresistible. Hot and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We dunked our way through the plate in no time.

Churros for two

On a separate day, we had tea, a cappuccino and fondue set. The fondue set was an astonishing $18.90 but all was forgiven once I dived in.

English breakfast tea

cappuccino

Fondue set for two

Strawberry dipped in liquid dark chocolate

Inside

For decadent desserts, chocolate-themed everything and sticky fingers, San Churro is the place to be. There aren't as many franchises in Sydney, namely Glebe, Miranda and Chatswood but I'm dying to try the banoffee bolero of fresh banana, Argentinean caramel, milk chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and masses of chocolate shavings.

San Churro Chocolateria
Web: www.sanchurro.com/contact.php

Interior of Spanish Tapas at Glebe

Patatas bravas (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce)

Tortilla espantildeola (potato and onion omelette)

Gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns)

Pimientos asados (grilled capsicum)

Gambas sevillanas (prawns cooked in tomato sauce)

Almejas al vino blanco (pippis cooked in white wine sauce)

Champiñones rebozados (crumbed mushrooms)

Calamares fritos (deep fried calamari)

BBQ'ed Chorizo

Strathfield Girls (class of 2001) Dianne, Aileen, Jenny, Amy and me

Strathfield Girls (class of 2001) me, Anita and Karen

VEGETARIAN PAELLA (A Spanish dish - Rice and vegetables)

PAELLA VALENCIANA (A unique Spanish dish - Rice, chicken and seafood)

Live Flamenco Show