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On the dining out scale, we have cheap eats on one end and fine dining at the other. But what goes in between during those weekdays which you feel like a bit of indulgence without milking your wallet? What if you want something slightly special on a budget?

That's been my situation lately so I'm dedicating this month to indulgence on a budget.

And what better way to kick start the theme than to look at what the Merivale restaurants are offering during their March Into Merivale festival (15 February - 16 April).

During the eight week festival, nine Merivale restaurants - est., sushi e, Uccello, Mad Cow, Bistro CBD, Lotus, Ash Street Cellar, Teppanyaki and Sushi Choo - offer $33 lunch and dinner menus, which includes a main meal with a glass of wine or beer!

I managed to squeeze in quite a few tastings during their launch event a few weeks ago at The Ivy Room and will definitely be heading back to est. and Lotus.

One of my favourite canapes at March Into Merivale 2010 - by Lotus: Skewer of prawn crusted with Tasty Toobs

Another of my favourite canapes at March Into Merivale 2010 - by est.: Grilled scallop tartare, olive oil, lime juice, washed red onion and pork crackle

And another thing which caught my eye was the Cointreau Blush.

Drinks served at March Into Merivale 2010

The Cointreau Blush is a refreshing cocktail with sweet and tangy citrus flavours frolicking within a tall glass. I spotted the recipe on a coaster and let me just say, this cocktail brings back summer! It's super easy to make yourself at home... Give it a go!

So I know how everyone whinges about the inflated cost of food every year, but thanks to Merivale, I don't think eating out on a budget has ever tasted this spectacular!

Lastly, don't forget to subscribe below as there are more exciting indulgence on a budget posts coming your way this month!

March Into Merivale 2010
What: $33 lunch and dinner menus (includes a glass of wine or beer)
When:15 February - 16 April, Monday to Friday, noon to 2pm and 6pm to 8pm
Where: est., sushi e, Uccello, Mad Cow, Bistro CBD, Lotus (* dinner only), Ash Street Cellar, Teppanyaki and Sushi Choo
More info: marchintomerivale.com.au

Childhood memories of Chinese New Year have always featured elaborate homemade banquets on the eve of the New Year followed by a day witnessing the roaring of firecrackers and drums as the lion dance parades through masses of crowds in Sydney's Chinatown.

This year however was different. I had taken on an ambitious project with Asian Home Gourmet at the City Of Sydney Chinese New Year festival markets (12 - 14 February 2010), to present a line-up of delicious kitchen demonstrations on a live stage, and hence wasn't home when families across the globe were reuniting with a feast.

Lots of love goes out to all the friends and fans who stopped by. If you missed it, you can check out a snippet of the action at the kitchen demonstrations here:

So my lovely parents agreed to celebrate a week in advance and decided that we take a year off from our usual banquet of seafood delicacies.

Instead, we would have a simple kind of Chinese New Year, celebrating with a decent sized suckling pig, served Vietnamese DIY style which I think brilliantly showcases the cultural background of my family (both my parents were born & raised in Vietnam with a Chinese Teochew heritage - while my siblings and I were all born & raised here, in Sydney).

Whole roasted suckling pig from Good Luck BBQ House

The delicate crunch of crackling on a whole roasted suckling pig

While I adore a slow braised abalone or a rich lobster stir-fry, nothing quite gets my heart pumping and my mouth drooling as much as the glossy delicate crisp layer of crackling on a juicy tender suckling pig.

Suckling pigs often need to be pre-ordered from local Siu Mei establishments (Asian BBQ Houses) weeks in advance if required during popular celebratory occasions such as Chinese New Year. Otherwise, I think three days is the general rule of thumb. The suckling pig is 2 - 6 weeks of age and are roasted whole with a generous rub of five spice powder, red and white vinegar, Chinese rice wine, garlic and maltose. The cost of a suckling pig is only confirmed once it has been cooked and weighed and will generally cost between $200 - $300.

Pieces of suckling pig - crunchy thin glossy crackling with juicy bites of meat

Deep-fried buns are the perfect accompaniment with suckling pig

Ours was ordered from Good Luck BBQ this year as they were much more flexible on our last minute timings than Emperor's Garden.

We served this with deep-fried buns which are crunchy on the outside and fluffy within, a crisp jelly fish salad fragrant with sesame oil, a zesty fresh lotus root salad, lettuce leaves, an array of garden mints, banh hoi (woven rice vermicelli noodle sheets), hoisin sauce and nuoc mam (fish sauce).

Our simple feast, a fusion of Vietnamese and Chinese

Traditional Chinese New Year treats: candied fruits in a circular tray and dried abalone

While a whole suckling pig is usually reserved for the main course of a celebratory banquet, you don't really need an excuse to buy just a cut to treat yourself today. So here are two of my preferred Asian BBQ houses where you can buy/order the best roasted suckling pig in Sydney:

Emperor's Garden
213-215 Thomas St
Haymarket NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9281 9899

Good Luck BBQ House
Shop 18, 24-28 Hughes St
Cabramatta NSW 2166
Phone (02) 9724 0661

While on my maid of honour duties (bridal dress shopping for my sister), the bridesmaids, my Mum and I had an hour to kill in between appointments so I decided to introduce everyone to the $2.50 shop on Clarence Street. Yes, we Sydney-siders have our very own Japanese 100 yen shop!

Shopping at Maruyu's $2.50 (100 yen) shop at Sydney's Clarence Street, Town Hall

To the bemusement of my sister, who had never traveled to Japan and learnt of the treasures available for only 100 yen each, she squealed with joy. It was only my second visit and much like sharing good food with good friends, it was a very delightful afternoon, watching the girls pick up a heap of quirky must-haves which they didn't know they had needed. Let me assure you, any trip to the $2.50 (100 yen) shop, will be very satisfying.

They stock everything from kitchenware to tableware to gardening tools to underwear!

[Top left - Bottom right] Food serving tray (image source: fotobank.ru), onigiri punchers/cutters (image source: Just Bento), cute rabbit egg mould (image source: Just Bento), table ware: bowls, dishes, cups, chopsticks (image source: Chipango), fish shaped soy sauce disposable containers and gourmet toothpicks (image source: Lunch In A Box), the $2.50 (100 yen) shop at Maruyu in Clarence Street Sydney (image source: J Style), grater / multi-slice tool for daikon, ginger, cucumber or other vegetables (image source: Lunch In A Box) and lastly, a heart-shaped mini frying pan (image-source: catgirlpink)

Some of the cool and cute foodie things on sale include a pair of plastic egg moulds which let you transform an ordinary boiled egg into a work of art that any kid would eat, a star-shaped miniature frying pan for adorable pancakes, those serving trays you see at ramen joints like Ichi-ban Boshi or Menya, sake cup sets, a massive selection of graters and slicers in all shapes and sizes for daikon, ginger or cucumber, and yes, even those disposable sushi boxes and fish-shaped soy-sauce containers!

And what's best, is that shopping up a storm here won't hurt your wallet.

So what are you waiting for? Shop up & eat up!

Maruyu City Super
Basement & Ground Floor, 283-285 Clarence St., Sydney
Tel: (02) 9267 0882
Open Monday - Friday 10am - 7:30pm, Thursdays until 8pm, Saturday 12pm - 6pm and Sunday 12pm - 5pm

NEWS FLASH
Plus in other exciting news... guess who's going to be on stage at the Chinese New Year Festival Markets at Sydney's Belmore Park (12 - 14th February)? That's right - me, me, me!

I'm working with Asian Home Gourmet to present a line up of delicious kitchen demonstrations.

My book, I Ate My Way Through Singapore & Vietnam, will also be on sale so pop by and say hi! ;)

Event Details
Date: Friday 12 - Sunday 14 February 2010
Time: Friday 4.00pm-10.00pm & Saturday/Sunday 11.00am-10.00pm
Venue: Belmore Park, across Eddy Avenue from Central Station
Cost: Free
For more information: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cny/Events/ChinatownMarkets.aspx

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.

Most Visited Casual Restaurant: Dong Ba Bun Bo Hue, Bankstown, NSW
I think I have honestly dined at Dong Ba at least once every fortnight in 2009 - joining the regular local slurpers of Bun Bo Hue, a Hue-style spicy noodle soup. It is only $7 and the food (they also serve plenty of other traditional Vietnamese eats such as my second most ordered dish here, the Cambodian Rice Noodle Soup) is served at lightening fast speed. Dining at Dong Ba in Bankstown is always a guaranteed fuss-free cheap and cheerful eat. Another bonus is that the menu caters for all possible cravings of anything Vietnamese so is sure to satisfy everyone. But the best part would probably be their drinks menu which includes the iced black coffee and the avocado milkshake.

Dong Ba
296 Chapel Rd South, Bankstown, NSW

Bun bo hue (Hue-style spicy noodle soup) at Dong Ba, Bankstown - My most visited casual restaurant of 2009

Most Expensive: Le Cinq, Paris
In May 2009, I left home for my first eating extravaganza in Europe. Let me just start off by confessing that I have a really bad habit of not checking prices whether it be shopping or food. My boyfriend almost passed out when he browsed through the 'host' menu at Le Cinq, which I had booked many months in advance. Thankfully I had the 'guest' menu which didn't have the prices so he was able to break the shock to me slowly. We soon justified to ourselves that because we had travelled all the way from Sydney to Paris, it would only be right if we allowed this one splurge and promised to be sensible throughout the rest of the trip. Le Cinq sits within Paris' most luxurious hotel - Four Seasons George V, and is the most elegant space I've ever dined in. Something like 440€ (AU$900 at the exchange rate during that time) excluding drinks and service charge and almost six hours later, we left gleefully with a massive dent on my credit card.

Le Cinq
Four Seasons Hotel George V
31, Avenue George V, Paris, France
www.fourseasons.com/paris/dining

Best Surprise: Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
My boyfriend was transferred to Wollongong for six months for work, a few years ago. During a visit to some of his old workmates earlier in 2009, we were introduced to Wiseman Park Bowling Club. Tucked within a senior's bowling club bistro is this spectacular down-to-earth yet slightly fancy restaurant. Think traditional Mediterranean and remember to make a reservation if dining on a Friday or Saturday night as the secret is out, and this place is hawt!

Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
Gipps Road, Wollongong, NSW

Favourite City Travelled To: Barcelona
My time in Barcelona can easily be summarized with daily visits to the Boqueria Market - the best market I have ever been to. The vivid display of fruits, seafood and jamon was an amazing sight and simply drool-worthy. The friendliness of locals shouting "hola" and the buzz in eating paella after paella, oh, and the shoes made Barcelona my favourite city visited in 2009. Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit it again soon.

Boqueria Market
www.boqueria.info

Fruit drinks display at Boqueria Markets, close up of paella and tapas in Barcelona

Most Visited Seafood Outlet: Ocean Foods, Drummoyne, NSW
Almost every drive on Lyons Road in Drummoyne has resulted in me stopping by at Ocean Foods. Their floor to ceiling glass walls means there's no running away from the grand display of fresh and ready to cook seafood and salads.

Ocean Foods
154 Lyons Rd, Drummoyne, NSW

Most Visited For Dessert: Mamak, Sydney, NSW
Roti and condensed milk are just made for each other. After countless dinners at other restaurants across the city, Sydney food bloggers, myself included, seem to always end up at Mamak for dessert. The roti tisu is a golden cone encrusted with butter and sugar that tastes heavenly with a swirl of condensed milk and sometimes, even ice-cream. If that doesn't have you drooling, the roti pisang will - with freshly sliced banana that caramelizes within a thin buttery roti. Oh, so good.

Mamak
15 Goulburn St, Haymarket, NSW

Favourite Late Night Dining: Wagaya, Haymarket, NSW
With ridiculous trading hours (Wagaya opens until 2am on most nights), private booths and a quirky touch screen ordering system, late night dining at Wagaya is perfect for those night owls (like me) who want a decent feed. I can't get enough of their soft-shell crab hand rolls, lotus root chips or takoyaki gratin. Unfortunately, all this late night dining has contributed greatly to my growing waistline... Hmm... Did someone say New Years Resolution?

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour St, Haymarket, NSW

Dining at Wagaya - Most Visited Late Night Dining Restaurant of 2009

Best Discovery of a Hidden Gem: Uchi Lounge, Surry Hills, NSW
Uchi Lounge is only a street behind the chaotic Oxford Street but upon stepping inside, you're in a whole new world. It is soothing and peaceful, offering a selection of Japanese sake cocktails and some scrumptious food such as their grilled eggplant with miso and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane St, Surry Hills, NSW

Favourite Bar: Water Bar at Blue, Woolloomooloo
I was introduced to Water Bar after my 25th birthday dinner in 2009. It's the fine dining of bars. As well as offering all the traditional cocktail favourites, Water Bar also features a range of new concept drinks that utilises some surprising and experimental techniques. Elderflower martini with a cucumber air, the kaffir lime dacquiri with coconut foam or the spiced fig whisky sour are just a few to name. The only downside here are their trading hours, closing at midnight on most nights and 10pm on Sundays and Mondays.

Water Bar
6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, NSW

Favourite Brunch: Rhodes Phoenix, Rhodes, NSW
Yum-Cha, Dim-Sum, whatever two words you use to call the fine art of eating dumplings and other Chinese delicacies over tea with friends or family, is a weekend hobby of mine. Having discovered the Phoenix group in 2007 - there's four of them: Sky Phoenix, Hilltop Phoenix, Manly Phoenix and Rhodes Phoenix, I quickly became a regular at the Rhodes restaurant which is only a short drive from my place. 2009 saw me dining at Rhodes Phoenix more than ever before. I have such a weakness for their prawn toast!

Rhodes Phoenix
1/5 Rider Blvd, Rhodes, NSW

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 a site which conveniently tags cafes so readers know if power is available, and if wifi is free.

Badde Manors doesn't have either but its cozy atmosphere, long trading hours and
moreish vegetarian food and desserts makes it the perfect study spot for late night cramming, or an ideal place to get work done.

I've been to Badde Manors a few times before. The first visit was documented here.

They're known for their generous serving sizes and I'm glad to see that they still live up to the name.

My eggplant schnitzel ($15.50) is served with an enormous amount of Irish mash, some steamed vegetables and garlic toast. The eggplant is thankfully not soaked in oil, which is a common mishap with this delicate sponge-textured vegetable. I enjoy the cajun spiced breadcrumbs coating the silky eggplant. The mushroom sauce and creamy mash are the best parts though. They're the core ingredients to my definition of honest comfort food.

K has the chef's salad ($12.50) which essentially has all the goodies one would want in a salad! Mixed greens, chick peas, runner beans, artichoke, grilled haloumi and roasted almonds are tossed in with a minted tahini sauce which she mentions is strangely bitter.

An hour goes by and we both shamefully can't finish our meals due to its sheer size but walk out eyeing the tempting cake display. Perhaps the next visit will have to be an afternoon "working" tea.

Badde Manors
37 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, NSW
Web: www.baddemanorscafe.com
Phone: (02) 9660 3797

Opening hours:
Monday - Thursday, 11:30am - 11pm
Friday, 11:30am - midnight
Saturday, 1pm - midnight
Sunday, 1pm - 11pm

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How lucky are we in Sydney to be able to taste so many cultures? Within an hour's radius of the city centre, we have access to scrumptious and authentic ethnic cuisines. For Vietnamese, there's Cabramatta, Bankstown, Marrickville or Surry Hills; for Indonesian, there's Randwick or Kingsford; for Korean there's Campsie, Eastwood and Strathfield, for Turkish or Lebanese, it's Auburn and Bankstown; for Thai it's Newtown; for Portuguese it's Petersham and for Greek, it's Brighton Le Sands.

When it comes to Malaysian though, I will admit that before Mamak opened on Goulburn Street, I didn't know what roti was.

So thanks to Mamak, I can truly appreciate Malaysian restaurants such as Temasek, Kammadhenu, Makan at Alice's... and events like Malaysia Festival.

Malaysia Festival 2009 was on 27th September and is in it's third year running. The idea behind it is that it was created by Malaysian students studying in Sydney who needed a taste of home away from home. It also allows Sydney-siders to experience the wonderful essence of hawker food stalls in a warm outdoor setting.

It was the perfect opportunity to laze on Tumbalong Park's grass with good friends and good food.

With seven mouths to feed, we went into strategy mode and split up into pairs. While some of us queued at different stalls, others did the research and snooping to see what else we should be having.

Within about an hour (yes, a long time because we arrived at the lunch peak), we all met back on the grass to present our treasures.

Mamak's satay chicken sticks

At the Mamak stall, we had their satay chicken sticks, nasi lemak and roti telur bawang , which is the egg omelette and onion roti.

Mamak's nasi lemak and roti telur bawang (egg omelette and onion roti)

At the Penang Hawker stall, we saw the transformation of some simple ingredients into a fragrant char koay teow (fried flat noodles) or char koay kak (fried radish cake). The crucial flavour, coming from fresh eggs and this jar of sambal.

Cooking essentials including sambal jar and eggs

Across at the Hometown Recipe stall, fresh apam balik ($7 for 2) were being made. These are a popular pancake which are pan-cooked, filled with creamed corn and nuts and turned over to form a crisp snack.

Apam balik (sweet pancake turnover) in the making

Then at Cafe Kasturi, we drooled as we eyed the chicken skewers on the grill and are convinced we need a dozen chicken satay sticks (6 for $8) and 2 containers of assorted sweet Malay kueh cakes and puddings ($1.20 each or a container of 5 for $5).

Cafe Kasturi's satay chicken skewers

Cafe Kasturi's chicken satay sticks were significantly larger than at Mamak and the satay sauce was as rich and nutty. However, an addition of diced cucumber would have been refreshing with the chunky cuts of Spanish onion and ketupat (rice cakes).

Our selection of sweet Malay kuey were delicious. There were lovely pandan aromas, different textures ranging from soft glutinous pudding to the firm and chewy. My favourite was the kuih ketayap which is a crepe wrapped like a small spring roll and filled with grated coconut and palm sugar.

Cafe Kasturi's sweet Malay kueh cakes and puddings

At the Kuali stall, we were tempted by the sound of a durian panna cotta but end up with the classic sago gula melaka which are sago pearls served with palm sugar and coconut milk. We also have the beef rendang which comes with some delectable pickled vegetables and a fragrant biryani rice. The rojak was soggy by the time we ate it.

Kuali's sago gula melaka (sago pearls pudding with palm sugar), beef rendang with biryani rice and rojak

While in the Kuali queue, my nose took me on a journey to Sally's Kitchen's coconut rice. And so I bought a beef nasi lemak which was as good as its smelt.

Sally Kitchen's beef rendang with nasi lemak and coconut rice

We also attempted the longest queue which was at Penang Hawker for their char kway teow but unfortunately had to ask for a refund after they recognised that they had taken more orders than manageable -which is to our relief as by this stage, we were already stuffed silly.

My beautiful friends, Sham, Jordan and Kat at the festival with me

This will have to be one of my most favourite food festivals in Sydney, simply because the concept of sharing food and culture with these Malaysian international students is so heart-warming. Keep an eye out for other upcoming food festivals in the I Ate My Way Through forums.

Where can you find the same food I've eaten here?
Mamak
15 Goulburn St, Haymarket
Web: www.mamak.com.au
Phone: (02) 9211 1668

Cafe Kasturi
767-769 George Street, Sydney
Web: www.valentineongeorge.com/cafekasturi
Phone: (02) 9288 9888

P.S. Congratulations to the winners of our Julie & Julia Mastering the Art of French Food-Blogging competition!

After a series of strange coincidences involving the random discovery of connections between friends, clients and the chefs at Marque, I just knew it was where I had to take Zen on his birthday.

Thankfully Mark Best and Pasi Petanen are both savvy Twitterers, so I managed to book a table for two via a quick tweet!

We arrived prompty for our 7pm reservation and were greeted by Mark himself -who two nights ago was awarded (a very well deserved win of) Chef Of The Year.

We started with Marque's signature beetroot macaron with foie gras. The meringue was light and airy and literally melted in my mouth the instant it touched my tongue. I love the beautiful decadent flavours of the foie gras left lingering behind. It was a dish Mark has thoughtfully shared with Centennial Parklands Dining, where I first fell in love with this dish and Brett Graham of The Ledbury, where I had a second encounter.

Beetroot meringue with foie gras

It was clear to Zen and I that we would be opting for the degustation tasting menu (eight course for $145 plus $75 for matching wines). Unlike other three-hatted restaurants, Marque does not bring out the degustation menu at the start. We were asked to list foods we were allergic to or didn't like to eat and as simple as that, the party in our mouths begun.

For those wondering, you do receive a detailed personalised dated copy of every course and wine you ate and drank at the end of the meal. I think the anticipation it builds course after course is a rather ingenious touch.

First up was the classic molecular gastronomy example which Marque attributes to Alain Passard. It was a marvelous play on hot and cold as well as textures and taste. Each time we dug in the crisp grissini, a new flavour evolved. The playful mix of vinegar and apple cider left me buzzing for more.

Chaud-froid free range egg

I didn't take a photo of the bread on this night as I was sure the eight courses would be enough food porn for one post. We were offered a white or my personal favourite (I had at least 2 slices of these), the rye and caraway seed bread. The soft chewy texture and the dark taste was accompanied with a lovely soft butter.

Then next Mark surprised us with a sea urchin custard with mandarin and green tea powder. The custard was light and fluffy. The subtle sprinkle of green tea powder was refreshing with the delicate sea urchin flavours. It was really a dish you had to close your eyes for to savour each and every taste.

Sea urchin custard with mandarin and green tea powder

The first course took on a whimsical approach to textures. There was a coarse powder (popcorn dust), slippery softness (almond jelly), foam (almond gazpacho, sweet corn) and something that pops (avruga), all which accentuated the natural sweetness of the hand picked blue swimmer crab.

Almond jelly with blue swimmer crab, almond gazpacho, sweet corn and avruga

When the second course was brought out, I was rather regretful I had failed to mention goats cheese in my list of foods I don't enjoy. Regardless, I popped the bocconcini which let out a small burst of goats curd. The strong aroma quickly mixed with the slithers of mint, red onion and globe artichoke. The taste was clean and refreshing.

Fine salad of globe artichoke 'cru' with goat curd bocconcini

The presentation of the third course was visually intriguing. The button mushrooms were treated and sliced in such a way that they were unrecognisable. However, when tasted, the complete earthiness reveals the mushroom's identity fairly instantly. The bitter vibrant red cubes of Campari were strong and mighty, adding oomph to each mouthful of the gorgeously steamed scampi.

Steamed scampi with fish floss, scampi anglaise, campari and turnip

After the third course, we received another treat from the kitchen. This crab custard with foie gras was one of the most spectacular things I've had to date. Perhaps because it's appearance is understated. The saw dust texture on top was frozen foie gras. The rich creamyness and cold taste was strangely very well matched with the warm crab custard. It was so divine, words cannot describe.

Crab custard with foie gras

Forth course was cured duck ham with jelly-like parmesan gnocchi, fresh and braised endive and duck liver. Although I absolutely adore seafood, at this stage, I was quite excited to be moving onto the meats! Overall, the different flavours made a delightful dish with the duck ham being the standout.

Duck ham with braised and fresh endive and parmesan

OMGosh. I didn't realise it was possible to pair all of my favourite things into one. The pork jowl was slow cooked into a beautiful tender piece which had just the right amount of fat. The bed of spinach which hid the plump juicy oyster was an Asian inspired winner and the matchstick bundle of shaved truffle was even more flavoursome. I loved this course to bits!

Slow cooked pork jowl with spinach and pacific oyster

Sixth course. Just look at how juicy the Angus sirloin is -it was seared to perfection. And served with onion three ways. There was the miniature croquettes, sliced with chive vinaigrette and pureed with a beautiful smokiness. Inbetween were also two dollops of blood sausage mousse.

Angus sirloin with boudin noir, onion croqeuettes and smoked onion puree

I must have been so busy with eyeing the seventh course of Sauternes custard that I forgot to take a photo! The burnt caramel topping was delectably paired with the sweetness of the Sauternes custard.

And last but not least, roast pineapple in Szechuan pepper, orange and butter, served with chocolate soil and Manjimup truffle ice cream. The pineapple had a lovely malted texture with a hint of spice. I am undecided about the truffle ice cream, I may prefer keeping truffle within savoury dishes only. But the texture of the chocolate soil was both fun to look at and taste!

Caramelised pineapple with Manjimup truffle ice cream

We had our tea and coffee, some awesome salted caramel chocolates and bitter bon bons! The sugar coated bon bons burst to reveal an assortment of bitter liquers. I didn't fancy the bitterness but the pinch of salt within the caramel chocolates were fantastic.

Me

Zen, the birthday boy

A dinner at Marque is definitely a memorable fun filled adventure which tickles your taste buds and excites your imagination. Our wines were served by the sommelier assistant, Zoltan, who described like poetry where each wine came from and why it was paired. The service was just enough and the food was nothing short of spectacular. It was the perfect place to celebrate with a special someone.

Happy birthday Zen!

Marque Restaurant
Medina Apartment Building
4/5 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW Phone: (02) 9332 2225
Web: marquerestaurant.com.au

Once upon a time, we discovered 'what's hot' at the office water cooler... Then there was email followed by SMS messages and calls from those on unlimited mobile plans, forums, blogs and instant messenger. Today's obsession with realtime micro-blogging has pushed Twitter into mainstream media, pushing word of mouth and social networking to a whole new level.

I tweet because I love learning and getting inspired by the interesting things people get up to outside of work -it's an opportunity to meet the real person behind a blog or the chef behind your favourite dish.

Without Twitter, I wouldn't have been exposed to the new kid on the ramen block. Lotus chef, Dan Hong's regular mentions of 'chronic ramen' has triggered many curious foodies. Tweets tagged #chronic were soon coming from the likes of Grab Your Fork, One Bite More, ChocolateSuze, The Sydney Tarts and Eat Show & Tell.

What's all this fuss about?

Well, precisely this:

The result is an intense collagen-rich stock that many fail to finish, hence it's term 'chronic'. The boiled down pork bones and marrow produce a thick stock which leaves your mouth slightly webbed, lips glossy with remnants and stomach, oh so satisfied. The collagen is meant to give you smooth skin too!

Tonkotsu noodles, $8.50

I love the way the ramen clings onto the gluey soup, allowing you to slurp up the full flavour. For an extra $1.50 you can have it with a soft boiled egg, and another $1.50 will get you some chilli pickled cabbage which are great for breaking up the stickiness within the mouth. There are also little tin pots of pickled ginger, seasoned garlic and sesame which you can help yourself to. The tonkotsu is definitely one of the most traditional (that is, not watered down -which Gumshara also does offer upon request) I've had in Sydney.

Chilli pickled cabbage, $1.50

The ramen noodles are slippery soft but have a firm bite. The addition of bamboo, fresh shallots and my soft egg yolk add life to the cloudy stock. I managed to eat all of my noodles but left behind a small puddle of soup that began to form a layer of fat as it chilled. So tip of the day: slurp it down quick!

Gumshara ramen counter and menu at Eating World

Head to this hidden eatery in Haymarket/Darling Harbour's Eating World food court before it's packed by the masses.

Note: Gumshara is closed on Mondays. I know, because I craved it on Monday and was disappointed to find the counter empty.

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Gumshara Ramen
Shop 209, Eating World Food Court
25 - 29 Dixon Street, Haymarket

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 still there. You wouldn't have known there was a change unless you looked at the signage.

Inside Cafe Qube

In the Summer, weekday work lunch was always a rotation between Bourke Street Bakery Broadway's (now closed) and Cafe Du Coeur's salads. They were always freshly made which meant there was generally a significant wait. A favourite of mine is the Moroccan salad-a lively combination of fresh orange segments, dried figs, Spanish onion, olives and spices on a bed of rocket.

Although the cafe is also popular with local workers for its reliable morning coffee, I was here today for lunch. Don't get me wrong, their all day breakfast was tempting... I was close to ordering the French Toast which includes a heart-throbbing mix of caramelized banana, ice-cream, mixed berries and maple syrup amongst other things.

North African Flame pasta

I end up with the North African Flame pasta. It is penne tossed in a rich tangy red sauce with harissa, tomato, olives, onion, chicken and fresh herbs. Expecting it be more exotic, I was disappointed by its average Joe taste.

Beef & Guinness Pie

K has the Beef and Guinness pie which comes with a small side salad. I've always felt ripped off paying $9 for a pie that wasn't baked from scratch in-house.

It may not have the best food in Ultimo, but the cafe is airy and its lounge chairs urge you to stay just a little bit longer. It's a lovely escape from the chaotic shopping centre and a breath of fresh air from the office.

Cafe Qube (Formerly known as Cafe Du Coeur)
56 Bay St Ultimo
Phone: (02) 9212 0025

I don't care what you call it (or how you spell it): slushee, slushy, slushie, slurpee or granita. But this has to be the world's best tasting and looking slush.

Served on large martini glasses, LNC Dessert House offer over 20 variations of slushees. My personal favourite is this mango and lychee slush with mini sticky balls and mango gelato. Despite not being able to see much of the slush on first impression, they do serve the perfect amount -I found myself finishing it off just as I was beginning to shiver and get a brain freeze ;)

The colourful things you see on top are glutinous sticky rice balls. They have a light chewy texture which balances the smooth slush quite well. Also scattered beneath the scoop of mango gelato are whole pieces of crisp and juicy lychee, green mango and jackfruit.

The whole combination is sweet but not overpowering. It is fruity and refreshing.

Mango and lychee slushee with mini sticky balls and gelato

Dianne, my dining companion, had her usual repeat order of the mango slush with fresh grapefruit and sago. I think any dessert with sago is usually a winner.

Mango, grapefruit slush with sago

Other slushee combinations include mango slush with cendol, mini sticky balls and mango gelato; red bean slush with sticky rice and coconut gelato; lychee and strawberry slush with strawberry gelato and black sesame slush with green tea gelato. Click on the menu below to for others.

Click the menu to zoom in

LNC Dessert House is the closest thing to Hong Kong's legendary desserts without having to step on a plane. These slushees totally beat anything from a convenient store.

Mmmm, I could do with another one now.

LNC Dessert House
Shop 12, 339 Sussex Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9283 3832

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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

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 formula. Some of them focus on our health concerns by offering gluten free or leaner options and others attempt to lure us with a sexy brand personality and fancy must-have sides.

So where are Sydney's best burgers?

Plan B
204 Clarence Street, Sydney
Plan B is of course Justin North's (of Bécasse) cafe which feeds many with affordable take away lunch choices. Mention Plan B to any foodie and you'll hear about the 600-day grain fed wagyu burgers. It is understandable why there's such a big following. Priced at only $10, the combination of a glossy brioche, a generous sized melt-in-your-mouth wagyu patty topped with melted aged cheddar cheese, pickled beetroot and caramelised onion is just impossible to resist.

Grill'd
57 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest, and all over Victoria and Queensland
Thanks to the team at Undertow Media, who brought Grill'd to my attention, I was able to trial the first Sydney store with a $20 voucher -and let me just say, I'll be back. I simply love the cheeky burger names (some to name are The Zen Hen, Hot Mama and Baa Baa Burger), the rosemary sprinkled thick cut chips, the retro store layout and the fun culture within the staff. With bun choices of panini, traditional, gluten free or bunless they've got everyone covered. These burgers are packed to the max and will have your jaws aching. Price ranges from $8.90 to $11.90.

Grill'd: Hot Mama burger: Grilled 100% lean beef, roasted peppers, dill pickle, tasty cheese, tzatziki, salad and harissa paste

Grill'd: The Zen Hen burger: Grilled chicken breasts with all the fat trimmed, tangy satay sauce, coriander, shredded carrot, salad and herbed mayo

Burgerlicious
130 Liverpool Street Sydney (also in Darlinghust, Newtown and Bondi)
When I used to work near World Square, Burgerlicious was a favourite lunch destination. All burgers can be served as wraps or as a salad and they also do a mean nacho. I loved the Zorbar, an ingenious combination of beef, grilled onions, fetta, roasted eggplant, lettuce, tomato, olive tapenade, semi-dried tomatoes, tzatziki and tomato relish. The burgers are slightly cheaper here, leaning towards the $8 mark, making it a real meal deal.

Cafe Giulia
92 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale
Cafe Giulia is the only reason I would ever wake up early on a week day. They have an amazing breakfast menu and by lunch, a to die for offering of some brilliant burgers -including the grilled fish with lettuce and homemade tartare, or the classic hamburger with grilled beef, tomato, lettuce, marinated beetroot, bacon and egg! Cafe Giulia also serve classic European pastas (I can't get enough of the spicy chorizo, tomato and chilli penne), stews, salads and bagels (I absolutely adore the grilled prawns with watercress, roast tomatoes and tahini). The burgers are priced from $6.90.

Fox Studios Backlot Cafe
Frank Hurley Grandstand, via the Professional Entrance, Fox Studios, Moore Park
Now, you can only get to this cafe if you enter via the professional entrance, which means restricted access from the public; hence why I try to schedule any client meetings I have with Fox, just before lunch time. I haven't tried anything else other than the delicious chicken and avocado sandwich on Turkish bread toasted, or this scrumptious chicken burger, complete with guacamole. If only all workplaces had a cafe like this downstairs!

Fox Studios Backlot Cafe: chicken burger

Fox Studios Backlot Cafe: Chicken and avocado on Turkish bread

Where do you think the best burgers in Sydney are?

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, a drool-worthy bar menu and an intimately lit room go wrong? The bar is quirky and the restaurant upstairs is Modern Japanese glam.

The decor is soothing and the peaceful ambiance complements it well. For a tiny lounge tucked behind Oxford Street, I was surprised.

The bar downstairs

Uchi doesn't take bookings on Friday or Saturday nights, but Amanda and I frown when we're advised the restaurant has reached its capacity and soon after the waiter steps away to chat with the boss, and we are offered a table downstairs. They don't normally serve the restaurant menu downstairs so I'm glad he has made an exception.

I ordered the Zen Booster cocktail which was only natural since it held the name of my other half. I'm not a big drinker so thought the mix of passionfruit sake, vodka, cointreau and organic apple and carrot juice was a little harsh. I much preferred Amanda's Crunchy Tiger. The sweetness of the mango juice mixed with passionfruit sake, vodka, cointreau was delicious.

Zen Booster sake cocktail

Crunchy Tiger sake cocktail

While analysing the menu, we were served these complimentary homemade rice cakes (or should I call them crackers?). They were still warm and tasted freshly toasted. I heart the basic flavour of toasted soy sauce on a crisp rice bed.

Complimentary rice cakes

Both Amanda and I are big foodies so don't be astonished by the amount we have ordered and demolished :)

The first dish we had were mussels with chilled wasabi and coriander. These were slightly disappointing as the mussels were over-cooked. But the flavours were nonetheless refreshing. Next were oysters with umeshu (a Japanese liqueur made with ume plums) vinaigrette. The texture of the vinaigrette was jelly-like and totally unexpected!

Chilled wasabi and coriander mussels

Fresh pacific oysters with umeshu vinaigrette

My favourite of the night was the following dish -grilled eggplant with miso and a sprinkle of parmesan. I simply loved the saltiness of the parmesan and miso mixed with gorgeously textured eggplant. However, the serving size only included half an eggplant so a whole would have been a bliss.

Grilled eggplant with miso and parmesan

The specials menu included 2 eye catching dishes which we just had to order. One of them was the shallow-fried soft shell crab wrapped with hijiki, edamame rice and snow peas. Whilst the filling was scrumptious, I was deeply disappointed by the oiliness of the beancurd sheet which encased it.

Shallow-fried soft shell crab wrapped with hijiki, edamame rice and snow pea, served with wasabi mayo

Inside the soft shell crab roll

The other dish we ordered from the specials menu was this yuan-grilled Suzuki jewfish with organic sesame oil and tamari, served with bamboo shoot rice and blanched bok choy. The bamboo rice was the best!

Yuan-grilled Suzuki jewfish with organic sesame oil and tamari, served with bamboo shoot rice and blanched bok choy

Ah, finally, our last main dish of medium rare beef steak with chilled wasabi mash. The mash must've consisted of fresh wasabi -its sharpness was so aromatic. And the accompanying sauce which I can't recall was so luscious, we found ourselves mopping it up with every piece of perfectly seared steak.

Medium rare beef steak with chilled wasabi mash

Dinner ended sweetly with desserts of their signature green tea and cinnamon creme brulee and houjicha (oven-roasted green tea) pannacotta. The crystalised toffee was as it should be -a thin glossy sheet. Cracking it has always been a secret pleasure of mine. The green tea and cinnamon custard beneath was silky smooth. But the pannacotta left me speechless as I continuously devoured spoon after spoon. Its refreshing houjicha essence paired with a light-as-air texture was sublime.

Green tea and cinnamon creme brulee

Houji cha pannacotta

Amanda et moi

The next time you need a quiet bar/restaurant for a date or to catch up with friends, check out Uchi.

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Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane Street, Darlinghurst
www.uchilounge.com.au

Apologies for the lateness of this post. As some of you will know, I am currently eating my way around Europe -with London and Barcelona done, I will be flying to Paris tomorrow afternoon.

Last Monday, I was invited to attend the first of four dinners to celebrate the launch of Chophouse's roast dinners which are available 6 - 8pm, every Monday to Saturday or until sold out. Before you drool over the photos below or continue reading any further, let me just quickly say that these roasts are only $18 each! Their tagline sums it up well; "Just like a roast at Mum & Dad's but we won't make you wash up...".

Chophouse, sister restaurant to Kingsley Steakhouse, is a New York style steakhouse which was opened in August last year. The restaurant space has been magnificently designed from floor to ceiling to bathroom. I loved the huge rib cages which hung over the seating areas.

Ribbed interior

Our group synonymously agree to go half halves, allowing us to taste both the Riverine Premium Beef and Byron Bay Berkshire Pork with Crackling. Yes, crackling!

Gravy, mustard and apple sauce

The meats were accompanied with none other than the must-haves, that is, apple sauce and mustard for the pork and gravy for the beef. On the side, there were also a plate of green beans and a breathtaking potato gratin. The potato gratin was most popular on our table, everyone scraped the last bits of cream and parmesan crust... it was scrumptious.

Green beans and potato gratin

We also share the house Autumn chopped salad, a playful mix of cos, smoked chicken, prawn, avocado, sopressa, red capsicum, crisp chickpeas and vintage cheddar.

Autumn chopped salad

The crackling on each plate didn't impress everyone on my table -"you mean not everyone likes crackling?!?"

The beef was cooked to perfection, medium and tender. And the pork was deliciously satisfying. So too was the well-roasted Japanese pumpkin and dutch cream potato.

Riverine Premium Beef and Berkshire Pork with Crackling, dutch cream potato and Japanese pumpkin

A dinner is never complete without dessert and when the waitress brought out a block of housemade chocolate with almond brittle and a mini-cleaver, the only other female on my table and I cheered with joy.

Housemade chocolate with almond brittle

Chophouse
25 Bligh Street, Sydney CBD
Phone: 1300 chop it (1300 246 748)
Web: www.chophouse.com.au

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 menu wasn't fancy but the dishes were beyond well prepared and gorgeously presented.

We started with refreshing cocktails (Endless Summer was a mix of Bacardi, passionfruit, pineapple, mint and lime, and my Goodie Grapes was made up of muddled grapes, topped with cranberry juice and lemonade) and some appetisers of shaved Serrano gran reserva with peppered melon, chilli and mint, and crispy spiced local squid with sweet paprika mayonnaise. Strangely, I had expected rockmelon or honeydew instead of watermelon... it was different, quirky but greatly scrumptious. We all gave the squid and sauce the thumbs up.

Dining room interior

Goodie Grapes mocktail

Slightly disappointed at my prawn cocktail, I envied Bec's playful ensemble of kingfish sashimi which was spiced with something which tasted like a Thai / Vietnamese sate sauce. It was paired with the natural crunch of either apple, pear or radish. Zen and Jonno had the same entree and left me yearning for their crisp pork belly and sublimely flavoured scallops. I continued to munch through my shaved iceberg, mixing it with the delicious crisp croutons and king prawns. It was good but didn't match the deliciousness of what my dining companions were having.

Bec and I disappeared off to the bathroom with her baby girl and walked past another amazingly decorated room at the back. There were so many pretty spaces... I'm considering it as the venue for my upcoming 25th birthday party. Maybe.

Endless Summer cocktail and crispy spiced local squid with sweet paprika mayonnaise

Shaved Serrano gran reserva with peppered melon, chilli and mint

Me, Bec and Natalie

Caramelised pork belly, roasted Queensland scallops, sherry gel and sweet corn puree

Kingfish with Bangkok flavours

Prawn cocktail

Since this is a food blog, I usually wouldn't post photos of the bathroom but this was too lovely not to. Check out the deep-bucketed sinks and angel-winged dressform.

We came back to find the mains waiting for us. Luckily, they were still hot and didn't show any signs of the wait. Bec and I both had the cauliflower, cete and macaroni cheese, which was exactly what I had been craving. Yes, my recent creamy pasta obsession has finally been satisfied. The cepe (French for porcini) added a rich earthy elegance to the dish.

Both Jonno and Zen had the 6-week dry aged organic roast and braised Gundooee wagyu beef with morel butter. They demolished it in glee.

Meanwhile, the fried provencal potatoes was my absolute weakness.

Fried provencal potatoes, aged proscuitto and garlic mayonnaise

Mashed potatoes

6-week dry aged organic roast and braised Gundooee wagyu beef with morel butter

Cauliflower, cepe and macaroni cheese

Then being smart parents, Bec and Jonno quickly signaled the waiter for the dessert menu.

We ordered, admired, ate (and in my case, spoon-licked the addictive earl grey tea syrup) and left.

Caramel date tart with burnt butter ice cream and earl grey tea syrup

Market fruits, jubes, gels and sorbets

If Etch was this tasty, I must really get myself to Becasse!

Etch by Becasse
62 Bridge Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9247 4777
www.etchdining.com.au

The Taste festival is every foodie's dream... and it's coming to Sydney! I was thrilled to be invited to attend the media launch this week (free food!!!) and it has only left me feeling more excited about the upcoming event. This glam outdoor food festival allows diners to mix and match their own degustation from top restaurants including Flying Fish, Becasse & Etch, Berowra Waters Inn & more.

During the event, chefs will each produce three signature dishes; at the launch, I tasted 13 of these and here's my verdict:

The truffle risotto was flavoursome and glued together with tasty bits of mozzarella. These were super hot, rich and moist. The sauce complemented it well and was not too overpowering.

Berowra Waters - A Soignee Truffle Risotto with Mozzarella and a Spinach/Fennel Rockerfella Sauce

I've had Peter Kuruvita's yellow fun tuna with ruby graprefruit and sweet pork crackling before and this was a delectable miniature version! Tiny shiso leaf, crumbled pork crackling, a small slate of perfectly seared tuna sat on top of a pinch of grapefruit and this glossy sweet sauce. I loved it so much, I had two.

Flying Fish - Yellow fin tuna with ruby grapefruit and sweet pork crackling

Seeing so many spoonfuls of Bird Cow Fish's celeriac and smoked trout remoulade was mind-blowing. I loved the energy of the ocean trout roe... it brought the classic salad to life.

Bird Cow Fish - Celeriac and smoked trout remoulade with ocean trout roe

Restaurant Assiette paired juicy fresh Sydney Rock Oysters with a Vietnamese inspired dressing with tasted like a cross between nuoc mam (fish sauce used for dipping) and sweet chilli sauce. Fried onion and baby coriander made the perfect garnish.

Restaurant Assiette - Sydney Rock Oyster with Vietnamese dressing,crispy shallots and baby coriander

Longrain's spicy pork sausage betel leaves required a tricky maneuver to eat but it was divine. The combination of fresh herbs reminded me of all the luscious food available in Asia.

Longrain - Spicy pork sausage betel leaves & pickled ginger

I believe I had at least four of Jarred Ingersoll's pastrami of kingfish with earl grey tea smoked oysters. They were suited with a revitalizing cucumber and apple salad and was simply really good!

Danks Street Depot - Pastrami of kingfish with smoked oysters and a cucumber and apple salad

Sailor's Thai also used betel leaves with prawn and a citrus combination with plenty of peanuts. Its flavours were big and strong. Watch out for the dripping juices though! It was another tough one to pick up.

Sailor's Thai - Prawn Miang served with peanuts and lime on betel leaf

Ooh, do I even need to say anything about these? They looked and tasted marvelous! Centennial Parkland Dining's beetroot macaroon with foie gras was definitely one of my top picks! I could have eaten so many but these sexy little things were popular with the crowd.

Centennial Parklands Dining - Betroot Macaroon with foie gras

Chandon Pinot Rose pouring into glass

Ottoman Cuisine - Etli Borek - crisp home made filo rolls filled with braised veal shank, currants & pine-nuts, served with pomegranate and yoghurt sauce

Restaurant Balzac - Wagyu Beef ' Bourguignonne' with Truffled Cauliflower and Onion Rings

These cute little mini organic wagyu burgers by Justin North were the last savoury canapes to come out. As full as I was, I had to have one. If you've never had a burger melt in your mouth, this will.

Becasse & Etch - Mini organic grass fed wagyu burger

Über big and über sweet were Peter Conistis' double chocolate hazelbut baklava, and last but not least were George Francisco's jiggly-like-boobs vanilla panna cotta. Like any visit to Jonah's at Whale Beach, it was heavenly. The accompanying pomegranate molasses and lavender honey made it a work of art.

Civic Dining - Double chocolate hazelnut baclava

Jonah's at Whale Beach - Mini vanilla panna cotta with pomegranate molasses and lavender honey

And it wouldn't have been a launch party without a goodie bag! Hoorah to Lavazza coffee, Tabasco, James Squire beer and other bits and bobs.

Gift bag goodies

chocolatesuze and i fight with wooden disposable forks

Taste of Sydney
12 - 15 March 2009
Centennial Park - Brazilian Fields

Tickets are on sale now through tastefestivals.com.au & Ticketek.

Zen knew that there was no better way into my heart than a night out fine dining. Last week, on Melbourne Cup day, he took me out to one of my most favourite restaurants. (Psst, I'm feeling rather spoilt now because I have just got back from a weekend away at Forresters Beach & Terrigal where I stayed at a gorgeous resort and dined at the ever so spectacular Ocean Restaurant -watch this space for the upcoming post!)

Me & Zen at Yoshii sitting at the same table as our previous visit!

First impressions say it all. My first time at Yoshii was at a Hats Off dinner during the 2006 Good Food Month. The meal then was stunning and my benchmark for degustations had thereafter risen. So, now when I dine at Yoshii, I expect nothing less, but somehow my desires seems unreachable. Perhaps I have just exposed myself to too many good restaurants... hehe... but I am a loyal diner and I will forever love the pre-meal oshibori (warm towel), the quirky modern-day Japanese cuisine and the extremely courteous service.

We started off with an appetiser of beetroot tofu which could have easily been passed off as jelly due to its appearance or tuna due to its colour. The beetroot wasn't obvious at first but after a slow taste, the beautiful fresh vegetable flavours filled my mouth and schmoozed its way with the Kuidashi sauce, prawn, wasabi and caviar.

Appetiser of beetroot tofu with wasabi and Kuidashi sauce

The second course was slightly less interesting. The deep fried taro and chicken mince ball was coated in a thick glue which was sweet yet savoury. I didn't particularly like the kelp seaweed wrapped around the foie gras and the other 2 dishes were pretty average.

Second course of deep fried Japanese taro and chicken mince, daily fish Nanbanzuke wrapped with potato mousse, duck foie gras and kelp seaweed Tsukudani and prawn with apple and citrus dressing

Zen had the Yoshii course with wine ($178) and I had the Saqura course ($120) so the dishes after the 2nd course were different. Here is Zen's third course of zucchini flower tempura filled with cuttlefish mousse (tasted exactly like the cuttlefish balls used in steamboats) and cuttlefish ink salt. I've still got no idea what cuttlefish ink precisely tastes like but this dip had a salty sea flavour and it was charcoal grey. Yum! The cuttlefish mousse was also a fantastic substitute for ricotta cheese.

Cuttlefish ink

Zucchini flower tempura filled with cuttlefish mousse

The 3rd course of the Saqura degustation was oven baked abalone. It was brought out in a tiny loaf of golden baked bread (that was inedible, I was told). I was instructed to remove the lid and to peel back the paper. It was like opening an early Christmas present... beneath the piping hot sheets were thinly sliced pieces of abalone which were infused with sake and soy... they were tender and juicy. A few more slices or even a double serve would have been heavenly!

Oven baked sliced abalone in natural juices, sake and soy

Zen and his wine

The 4th course of both the Yoshii and Saqura sets were notably one of Ryuichi Yoshii's best. Mine was the pan-fried duck breast in rich pork wine reduction. The deep glossy sauce was sensational. Zen had the milk fed veal sashimi which I had tried during my previous visit. It was served the same way with tiny vegetable cut outs and micro herbs; just as tasty as I had remembered.... good times.

Pan fried duck breast Jibuni-style port wine reduction

Milk fed veal sashimi served with forest mushroom dressing

The I had an additional course (while Zen waited for his main course) of white fish and green tea soba noodles wrapped with seaweed. The cute little pieces sat in a brown tea bonito stock with floating grains of puffed brown rice. It was so aromatic and cleansing!

Daily white fish wrapped with nori seaweed and green tea soba noodle in brown tea bonito stock

My main course was baked kingfish with red miso... simply delicious. The main course of the Yoshii set was braised wagyu beef cheek, served with a clean ensemble of spring Japanese vegetables.

Paper wrapped Hiramasa king fish baked with sansho leaves and red miso

Slowly braised wagyu beef cheek in red riso and red wine

The finale courses have been one of the main consistencies between visits... the palette cleansing lemongrass granita remained heavily dosed in champagne and the sushi plates still featured all the best ingredients. There were tuna, kingfish, garfish, swordfish, scampi, ocean trout, eel, prawn and scallops. Of course the perfect accompaniment was pickled ginger, lots of wasabi and soy and a good cup of miso soup.

Palette cleanser of lemongrass granita

Saqura course's sushi plate

Yoshii course's first sushi plate

Yoshii course's second sushi plate

Miso soup bowl

Dessert was an option between three; two of which were the same as my previous visit. We had the blissful smoked icecream which was surprising delectable and the mascarpone dusted with soy powder and black sesame. Both were delicious but again, a larger serving size would have earned Yoshii some bonus points.

Smoked icecream and fresh fruit

Mascarpone dusted with soy powder and black sesame

Yoshii Restaurant
115 Harrington Street Sydney
Phone: 9247 2566
Web: www.yoshii.com.au

One of the perks of working in the service industry is free food (and booze, but I like to focus more on the food). Last night, we took one of our clients out to The Malaya.... I had pre-booked the Set Menu 2 which was $52 per person. It was scrumptious and fiery hot but did not include dessert! Doh!

We started off with some drinks... I had these 2 mocktails which were both refreshing and amazingly delicious. The apple mojito had a lovely taste of palm sugar which was intertwined with crushed limes and mint leaves. The Adam & Steve drink acquired a more mature taste, with hints of ginger ale, ginger beer, fresh cut apples and mints.

Apple mojito

Adam and Steve

Soon enough, a plate of miniature salmon rolls and king prawns arrived. They sat on a bed of cute micro green salad (including my favourite shiso aka perilla) leaves. The chilli lime sauce was reminiscent of ordinary sweet chilli sauce and overpowered the what otherwise would have been delicate flavours of salmon sashimi, dill and English spinach, but it was somehow still enjoyable. The prawns on the other hand were served chilled and drowned with delectable creamy flavour.

Steamed king prawns, shelled and served with a chilli tartar sauce, sashimi salmon rolls and micro green salad

The remaining starters continued to arrive shortly after. They were all reflective of their traditional Asian roots, using plentiful chilli and pungent spices. There were scallops steamed with fresh ginger, shallots, chilli and soy which were a little bland and BBQ Singaporean satay beef skewers with an amazing hypnotic sauce made from fresh ground peanuts and chilli.

Scallops in the shell steamed with fresh ginger, shallots, chilli and soy sauce

Singaporean style BBQ beef skewers with satay sauce

The journey through Asia continued into the main course with flavours from Indonesia, China and Malaysia. My favourite was the Szechuan chicken which was a dry stir-fry with uber hot chillies, shallots and cashew nuts. It was everything I wanted to be... rich and powerful. Ha! The king prawns surprised me as well, I loved that they were battered before being coated with a Penang style curry sauce. The lamb curry must have been every game-eater's heaven as I only dipped my roti into a bit of the sauce and already, the stench was too strong for my liking. The greens were executed well with a classic oriental toss in chilli, soy and garlic.

Kapitan King Prawn, Penang style curry sauce made with fresh chilli and coconut milk served with lightly battered king prawns

Szechuan Chicken, marinated pieces of chicken thigh fillet stir-fried dry style with shallots, cashew nuts and dry chillies

Lamb Bali - Indonesian style red curry lamb cooked with a tomato base

Roti Canai

Fresh seasonal Asian greens stir-fried with garlic, soy sauce and fresh chilli

After this yummy banquet, we went bowling. There were automated cameras which took pics of us all in awkward poses in mid-action... hehe... lots of fun!

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The Malaya
39 Lime Street, King Street Wharf, Sydney
Web: www.themalaya.com.au

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 months old, it makes me wonder what other delicious things will be waiting for her.

And this was our magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge view...

We started with a choice of white bread or soy & linseed... each of us mopped up lots of the creamy room temperature butter and sea salt flakes.

Bek started with the seafood tapas. The steamed squid with cauliflower cream and parmesan tuile looked like an interesting play on texture. I can't remember the others, but an obvious one was the inclusion of scampi tail.

Jonno had three huge caramelised white scallops which looked enormously delectable.

Zen's starter had all of us in envy. Generous slices of seared yellow fin tuna were stacked on top of pieces of pink ruby grapefruit and roast pork. The pork crackling was oh, so sweet. I would have happily enjoyed this as a main course.

My king crab tortellini was divine. The champagne emulsion and oysters were inviting... it went hand in hand with the naturally seductive flavours of fresh king crab.

For my main course, Bek and I both had the Souchong (a type of black tea) crusted flathead. It was served with the most amazing prawn consomme I've ever had. It was borderline over-powering but stunningly scrumptious. The essence in the consomme only brought out the best in the poached scampi and white radish.

Zen's mushroom infused wagyu was tasty but he questioned the heaviness of the accompanying braised beef shoulder. Pity I was too busy with my consomme to try the risotto. The bone marrow must've enriched each morsel of rice.

Jonathan decided to splurge a little bit and triumphantly ordered and finished off 1kg of spicy mud crab.

Flying Fish's famous hand-cut chips were served as mash today with the truffle butter making up for the absence of crunch.

Silly me, I forgot about the complimentary green leafy salad which was dressed in something lovely and sweet, and ordered this additional side dish of red witlof, frisse salad with Persian feta cheese and pistachios.

Our table was double booked so we took our desserts outside. The spring breeze and harbour views were almost as gorgeous as our dessert tasting plate. My favourite was the caramelised banana tart with coffee crumble and brown sugar ice cream. Next fave was probably the Valrhona Manjari chocolate mousse with uber-addictive concentrated passionfruit jelly and coconut sorbet.

Because of a system error which resulted in a long wait for our dessert, we were also offered free tea and coffee! Hot chocolate, English breakfast, green tea and cappuccino. Guess who had what?

Another portrait of the young Chinwah family

Flying Fish still remains as one of my thumbs-up restaurants. While their state of the art (sensors trigger the clear glass walls to frost up) bathroom is worth a mention, I found that the service this time was a little let-down. Their food on the other hand is still top-notch seafood / modern Australian.

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Welcome to the world, Nat... and thanks for being lovely dining companions, Bek, Jonno & Zen.
xoxo

Flying Fish restaurant
Jones Bay Wharf, Lower Deck
19 - 21 Pirrama Road Pyrmont
Tel: 9518 6677
W: www.flyingfish.com.au

I didn't do any Sugar Hits this year (previous ones back in 2006 are here, here and here) nor did I attend any Hats Off dinners... what I did do during this year's Good Food Month, was grab a quick bite on the last day of the Night Noodle Markets.

It was packed!

Squidlicious were offering mixed seafood plates for $16 which included 2 sticky and sweet prawn skewers, 2 crisp tempura prawns, some not-too-bad salt and pepper squid and crumbled scallops on a bed of undressed gourmet green salad leaves.

The nasi lemak ($10) from Sam Satay had all the key elements, coconut rice, egg, anchovies, sambal, cucumber, peanuts and chicken curry... it was tasty but lacked oomph.

Sam Satay were also offering roti canai with dahl (lentil curry). The roti was a little soggy, overwhelmingly buttery and the dahl lacked flavour and spice.

No time for dessert, because we were running late to a 25th surprise birthday party!

Good Food Month
http://gfm.smh.com.au

When you're starving, any food is good food. But watch what happens when you put one hungry person, a busy day at work -meaning lunch at 3pm, and this divine salad of smoked trout, roast potatoes, capers, roast red onion, dill, celery, parsley, rocket, tomato, almonds and a lemon verjuice dressing?

This is the end result:

All I can say, is that this was quite simply one of the best salads I have ever had! It had the right consistency and a delectable variety of texture and flavours.

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Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 Broadway, Sydney

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 and trekked down to Dank Street in Waterloo for an afternoon of market shopping, queue lining and drooling.

There was a great turn out in Young Street with stalls of breads, oils, jams, marinades and trucks of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables.

We also wandered through a designers market where there were wall decals, hand-made jewellery, bags, bibs, retro furniture, fabric remnants, and plenty more.

And then there were roving entertainers including these Italian chefs of stilts and false security guards carrying giant plush dogs on a leash. Ha!

False security guard with plush toy dog

The gourmet food stalls was what I was really there for. Jones The Grocer were selling large blocks of rocky road, nougat and fudge. I treated myself to the rocky road in dark chocolate which was rich and satisfying. Fluffy marshmallows, glace cherries, dessicated coconut and peanuts were encased in thick chocolate. Mmmm...

At the Dank Street Depot stall this year was a mass production of BBQ pure bred Suffolk lamb rolls with pomegranate and mint salsa.

Dank Street Depot's stall

After eyeing this giant paella in the making, I had to have one for myself. I was a little disappointed the saffron rice wasn't well cooked through but it was still piping hot, moist and delicious.

Chef cooking huge paella

Also at the Seafood & Eat It stall were a stack of young coconuts for drinking and a scrumptious aroma of fresh BBQ seafood.

I've always been a little cautious with food prepared in high quantities but this mixed seafood platter which I shared with X was surprisingly tasty! Salt and pepper calamari, prawns and BBQ octopus were served with a nicely dressed gourmet salad on a cool bark plate.

Loren & Karen respectively had the spicy chorizo roll and smoked bratwurst served with sauerkraut from Eumundi's BBQ Blitz.

Some men are known to walk cute toy dogs to strike up conversations with women... this man took it to another level with 2 massive Huskies. They were gorgeous!

To cool ourselves down, we lastly indulged in gelato and snow cones.

Dank Street Festival
More info: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/artandabout/ExhibitionsEvents/DankStreet
Other upcoming events: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/WhatsOn

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 time.

I actually had this salad for lunch today... and less than 12 hours later, here you have it:

Since Bourke Street Bakery started the email subscriptions, I have been obsessed! In winter, it was their hearty soups which were reinvented daily. Now, I'm stuck onto their salads -all of which are served with a generous slice of their delicious crusty sourdough. There's nothing better than receiving an email reminder of the daily specials every morning... it keeps my mind set til lunch time!

I found that the dressing in the roast beef salad (I had this last week, pic is above) to be too heavy, but the mix of lentils made it a scrumptious gourmet lunch that was extremely filling. Today's bresaola salad was a lot lighter and just as tasty, although I would have loved more than one zucchini flower...

Are you hooked yet? Here are some of the recent salads that were on offer:

• Pork with chat potato, chick pea, baby spinach, mint, basil and coriander, with a lemon, cornichon and spring onion dressing
  


• Duck with roast potatoes, roast beetroot, goats feta, parsley, celery, lentils, baby spinach, and a red wine dressing


• Roast chicken with white beans, croutons, braised fennel, parsley, and rocket and a lemon dressing


• Smoked salmon with potato, capers, roast red onion, basil, hazel nuts, tomato, witlof and a lemon and verjuice dressing


• Roast pork with chick pea, potatoes,baby spinach, mint, corriander, basil, and a light lemon mayo dressing


• Roast lamb with crispy pancetta, roast pumpkin, green beans, parsley, baby spinach, anchovies, goats feta and a balsamic dressing

Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 Broadway, Sydney

It has been 2 years since my first and last meet-up with other Sydney food bloggers so I was thrilled to receive the email invitation to a yum cha meet and greet at East Ocean.

Who was there? Suze from chocolatesuze, Helen from Grab Your Fork, Kathryn from Limes & Lycopene, Lisa from spicyicecream, Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella, Howard and Qing from eatshow&tell, Belle and William from Ooh, Look..., Reem from I Am Obsessed With Food and a big thank you goes out to Christie from Fig & Cherry for organising this lovely lunch.

I had such a great time... conversation flowed continuously from discovering that a few of us loved to treat on avocado with condensed milk, to learning that Vegemite made good stock. We also discussed our varied experiences with the sometimes negative response of restaurants, magazines and celebrity chefs, and of course swapped lists of our favourite places to dine and produce to buy.

Each dish made its way around the table, ensuring each of us had the opportunity to photograph the food before it was touched. We ooohed and aahed at the thousand layer cake which Suze had spent 10 years hunting for... and racked up a $220 bill which was not bad for a table of 12 hungry foodies!

All in all, I've been introduced to some fantastic new food blogs, which I have already become a fan of, and have been pleased to have had the opportunity of putting faces to some of the blogs that I've been reading for years. This time, I'll have to make sure it isn't a 2 year gap til my next meet-up.

Here are bits and pieces of what we munched down:

I've never had the thousand layer cake before. It was soft and sponge-like... the top layer was similar to the typical steamed bun but the layers beneath it were rich with lotus seed paste (the kind in moon cakes) and egg yolk.

Thanks for the wonderful company guys! Hope to see you soon... and in the meantime, happy photographing, blogging and eating.

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East Ocean Restaurant
421 - 429 Sussex St, Haymarket, Sydney
Web: www.eastocean.com.au

This place is exactly like the street stall its owners had enticed the Chinatown Friday Night Market goers with last year. It's fast, there are still queues and the food remains scrumptious.

While I can't pronounce "Mamak" like a true Malaysian, I can definitely eat chilli like one. And even still, the fiery hotness in the Sambal udang caught me by surprise. The jam textured sambal was so addictive. I scooped spoonfuls on each delectable piece of prawn.

The Kari ikan was delicious also. The fish was oily and flaky and the tangy curry was matched well with chunks of tomatoes, okra and eggplant.

Next was the Rojak which was brought out within an impressive 10 minutes of ordering. The prawn and coconut fritters were sweet enough to be classified as dessert but i loved the refreshing textures between the salad of shredded yambean, cucumber, fried tofu, hard-boiled eggs and glossy thick peanut sauce.

The Kangkung belacan seems to transcend many cultures and languages as it is also known as 'rau muống' in Vietnamese, 'ong choy' in Cantonese, 'eng chai' in Hokkien/Teochew and 'water spinach' in English, right here in Australia. The aromas of the shrimp paste were all mopped up with the leafy greens.

Mamak serve 10 types of roti, including 4 sweet variants. We ordered the original roti canai which was crispy on the outside, buttery and fluffy on the inside. It was served with 2 curry dips and a dollop of spicy sambal sauce. It couldn't have been good for my waist, but oh, I am so craving it right now! (Psst, Mamak opens til 2am on Friday and Saturday nights... almost too good to be true! Traditional roti at 2am? Count me in! Hehe...)

There's not much I can say about perfectly fried chicken... and Mamak do the best ayam goreng. Crispy, spicy, golden... I'd have this over KFC any day.

Ais kacang... just look at this glorious mountain of red beans, corn, grass jelly, rose-syrup, sweetened milk and shaved ice! Enough said.

Want more Malaysian goodness? Check out the Mamak menu below or why not tingle your taste buds at the Malaysian Festival on Aug 31, at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour?

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Mamak
15 Goulburn Street, Sydney
www.mamak.com.au

I took my family out to Rise this week for another celebration of my birthday! Once upon a time, I filled out a membership form which was hidden beneath the bill. And earlier this month, I received an email from them with an offer for $25 discount off the 6 course Omakase degustation. Yay! It was still $60 per person for the rest of the crew, but I think Rise is Sydney's best value degustation.

Dessert tonight was panna cotta with kumquat granita and tapioca pudding with starch balls and coffee flavoured granita. Mine was brought out with sparklers and an impressingly neat chocolate-written 'happy birthday'.

Rise restaurant
www.riserestaurant.com.au

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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 Year in 2003 and 2005.

Quay's breaktaking views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Opera House makes it a destination for special occasions. But it was the exquisite four-course degustation that completes the superb view and makes this place one of Sydney's top restaurants.

We started with an appetiser which was a sublime showcase of what would be on offer. I don't recall the ingredients but the taste and texture was delicious... and the presentation which included little edible flowers were almost too pretty to eat.

Zen's entree of sea pearls were made up of delicate morsels of sea scallop, aquaculture caviar, creme fraiche, smoked eel, tapioca, crab, yuzu and egg white pearls. There was a $20 supplement associated with this dish but the interesting blend of flavours was rather divine. We love love loved it.

I had the sashimi toro and loin of South Australian Blue fin tuna which was served with minuscule radishes, dashi jelly and horseradish cream. It was bold, artistic and tasty.

A standout was Peter Gilmore's signature rare breed pig belly served with shavings of green lipped abalone and Japanese mushrooms. The lavish flavours were naturally balanced with handmade silken tofu and decorated with tiny chive flowers. The richness of this dish made me almost lick the plate clean... and led me to pay little attention to Zen's order of slow cooked quail breasts, shaved baby squid, hazelnuts, truffle and grey ghost mushrooms, which he gave thumbs up to.

The main dishes arrived with a side salad, tossed in a cabernet vinaigrette. My butter poached Murray Cod with shaved sea scallop, green garlic, pea shoots, celery heart cream and smoked eel reduction was tender, light and comforting.

Zen's poached fillet of pure black Angus Beef was rich and earthy. The beef was a perfect pink medium and was served with a khaki green blend of young spinach, morels and fresh Tasmanian wasabi butter. The wasabi butter wasn't as overpowering as you'd expect and went hand in hand with the poached tenderloin.

Earlier research had also mentioned a chocolate cake featuring Amedi 'Chuao' chocolate which boasted eight different textures. The waiter brought out a perfect circular mould of 7 chocolate layers. The last one was scooped from a pan of warm chocolate sauce which sunk the centre of the cake. It was a rather amazing process to watch. The cake was truly decadent... and not at all too rich. I loved the subtle hint of hazelnut... the textures, oh, the textures. Mmmm...

The pear creme caramel, sauterne jelly, pear icecream and caramel cream was nothing short of being fabulous either. Zen finished spoonful after spoonful in no time.

We finished off with tea and these beautiful passionfruit infused petit fours. The marshmallows were fruity and spongy, and the white chocolate truffles completed this memorable night on a sweet note.

While I don't think the service is up to scratch, Gilmore makes Quay a remarkable dining experience.

I felt so spoilt... hehe... thanks for the lovely night, Zen ;-)

Quay
Overseas Passenger Terminal
The Rocks, Sydney
Phone: +61 2 9251 5600
Web: www.quay.com.au

Talk of Din Tai Fung's perfect xiao long bao aka soup dumplings (or steamed mini pork buns) has been all over town. And as a result, it has been reviewed by almost every food blog and lifestyle magazine in the last 2 months since the official opening at Sydney's World Square.

I finally took my camera along and joined the queue.

Outside, on a wet Friday evening, over 50 people hungrily waited for their ticket number to be called. I'm not sure how it works in the other 41 branches worldwide, but they've implemented a rather efficient ordering system here which keeps the big crowds happy.

Firstly, when you request for a table, the number of seats you require is scribbled down against a ticket number. The staff present you with a paper menu which has the corresponding ticket number on the top right. Hence while you wait, you're able to debate over your order and hopefully, by the time your table is ready, the paper menu would have quantity numbers next to each of the dishes you're ordering. (You're able to add to the order once you've seated)

To help customers get even more excited after they've mapped out their orders, there are ceiling high windows which reveal a team of masked and white lab coat dressed cooks, busily mixing, kneeding and wrapping dumpling after dumpling. Such care was given to each task. At one time, a woman took out what looked to be a pre-prepared symmetrical cube of wonton wrappers... she folded the top sheet into a triangular half and proceeded to slice off the spare millimeters of pastry to ensure that the wontons would be wrapped in accuracy.

Beside the dumpling kitchen was a massive full benchtop steamer. The picture below shows just how high they were stacked!

Steamer stacked high with dumplings

After waiting for just a little less than an hour, I impatiently asked the waitress how much longer I'd have to wait, considering several people who had arrived after me were seated already. She asked if a share-table was OK and without too much though, I agreed. If I had been aware that it was a round communal table, I probably would have thought twice. Lesson learnt.

Once seated, the waiters and waitresses confirmed our order and within minutes, dishes start popping up on the table. First off were their signature soup dumplings, six for $8.80. The pastry skin was admirably paper-thin and so delicate. The recommended method to eating them was to dip it with soy and vinegar, place it on a spoon while stabbing a little hole into the top to let the hot steam out, and after adding a few bits of shredded ginger, you slurp it whole, allowing the soup to burst in your mouth.

I really appreciated the perfection of each tiny morsel. Din Tai Fung claims that each of the xiao long bao have at least 18 pleats in them, and by the looks of things, it's most likely true. The casing was almost translucent and flawless in appearance but was also strong enough not to break when picked up with chopsticks.

Available for a limited time were these special steamed crab meat with crab roe and pork soup dumplings. They looked the same as the original pork variety... additionally hinting a light tender crab flavour... not quite worth the $15.80 I'd paid for the serving of six.

I also had this fruity green slurpee looking drink which was a delectable blend of lychee and mint.

The shrimp and pork shao mai didn't resemble the yum cha kind. They were flavoursome and reflective of the house specialty's soup dumpling filling. It was quite simply better than any shao mai I have ever tasted.

Steering away from Din Tai Fung's specialty dumplings, we tried the noodles with stir-fried pork and broad beans which were nice but pretty ordinary.

The wonton soup wasn't overly exciting either, although i did notice the perfect alignment of the casing's edges.

As soon as the waiter noticed we had finished our savoury dishes, he checked our order and signaled to the kitchen that we were ready for the dessert to be brought out. These golden taro rolls looked simple but tasted great. And it wasn't a tough choice either, considering a significant section of the dessert menu was 'unavailable'.

For 2 people, we paid $76 and left wanting a little bit more.

Din Tai Fung
Shop 11.04, Level 1, World Square Shopping Centre
(walk up the stairs near Bay Swiss)
644 George St, Sydney
www.dintaifung.com.au

Open for a couple of years now, Una's franchise on Broadway still generously serves the classic (and gigantic) schnitzel that the other franchises have been serving for over 30 years. They're served in 7 different ways, and all come with rösti (an amazingly rich and hearty potato dish which is browned and crisp on the top) and a side dish of cabbage salad.

On this particular night, I was in need of serious comfort food, so found myself digging into a home-style lemonade and the Swiss bratswurst (sausage) with sauerkraut (a sour cabbage dish) and my favourite rösti.

The lemonade was a perfect mixture of lemon juice, sugar and water. It quenched my thirst in time for the swift arrival of a towering plate of Swiss bratwurst which balanced on top of a heap of tangy sauerkraut and buttery rösti. The serving sizes at Una's has never been short of a home-cooked feast and luckily, the low prices mean it's guaranteed value for money.

Zen opted for the hot pot which consisted of 3 varieties of sausages, sauerkraut and a huge potato dumpling. He demolished it in no time, although leaving a big proportion of the dumpling which he said was rather cold. I suppose the crockery was more of a serving plate than cooking device because there was no way anything in the heavy cast iron pot could've stayed cold.

Nonetheless, we've been regulars of Una's old fashioned food and hand painted wood decor and like usual, our stomachs were cheerfully satisfied.

Una's
133 - 135 Broadway, Ultimo
www.unas.com.au

Also at Darlinghurst.

I can relate with anyone who gets hungry in the wee hours of the morning. So I've put together a top ten list of my fave restaurants for late night dining.

1. Superbowl's (35 Goulburn St & 41 Dixon St, Sydney) menu caters for all your typical Chinatown cravings up til 2am every day. Feel like a midnight splurge? Try the delicate peking duck. Or if you're feeling peckish, I'd recommend sharing a pork and preserved egg congee (with deep-fried bread sticks of course), stir-fried pipis in a spicy XO sauce and one of the best salt and pepper prawns. Definitely give the noodles a miss though!
2. Seoul Ria (Level 2, 605-609 Cnr of George and Goulburn St, Haymarket) beats Superbowl by an hour, opening until 3am daily. This is the place to be for all-things Korean. Their kim-chi pancakes are scrumptious but be prepare to queue up if you're planning on dining here during normal eating hours.
3. Pancakes On The Rocks (4 Hickson Rd, The Rocks)... you can't ask for more from a place that offers breakfast 24 hours a day.
4. Hey Hey Kebabs (Parramatta Rd, Auburn) defies the common kebab and pizza joint by offering sandwich pressed kebabs and crispy fried chips which are seasoned generously with chicken salt, leaving you feeling moreish at 4am. The friendly service and odd jokes makes this place a winner with inner-westies.
5. Harry's Cafe De Wheels (Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo) is the legendary late night eatery that has been serving up pies, peas and mash for decades. Harry's operates til 2am Monday - Thursdays, til 1.30am on Sunday and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.
6. Mamak (15 Goulburn St, Sydney) makes the local Malaysians feel at home. They serve nasi lemak, roti kaya, cendol & ice kacang all day, right through to 3am.
7. City Extra (E4, Circular Quay & 301 Church St, Parramatta) is a commercial-type cafe covering a little bit of every cuisine, 24 hours.
8. Guzman y Gomez (Bayswater Rd Cnr of Pennys Ln, Kings Cross) makes it possible for you to munch on authentic Mexican quesadillas, tacos and burritos until 10pm Sunday - Thursdays and 2am on Friday & Saturday.
9. BBQ King (18-20 Goulburn St, Sydney) do great Chinese dishes but are a tad pricey. Good thing they're open til 2am daily 'coz where else would you get such crispy glazed BBQ meat cuts this late?
10. Star City's Trophies Foodcourt opens until 3am on Sunday to Thursday and 6am Friday & Saturday. They're a bit like an international food court. Cheap, tasty and umm, fast.

I'm not sure there are many restaurants out there with a Facebook page of more than 700 fans. Chinese Noodle Restaurant is a cheap and cheery place, popular with students, grads and just about everyone else... and has 719 fans & counting!

Over the years, Chinese Noodle Restaurant has fine-tuned its process to meet its peak hour demands such that by the time a table is available for you, the order you had placed outside is served almost immediately. The service is as quick as fast food and rather quirky. Cans of soft drinks are stored in eskies and like most Northern Chinese and Uighur restaurants, there are grape vines hanging from the ceiling and wall tapestries on all sides.

At Chinese Noodle Restaurant, there's even a tiny squared window for customers to view the kneading, whacking and stretching of handmade noodles.

One of my favourite dishes here, is the eggplant special. Chunky pieces of eggplant are fried and coated in a light crisp glaze... thankfully, they have never been overbearingly soaked in oil.

I was in a classic kind of mood, so we also order these steamed pork and chive dumplings which are scrumptious with a dash of chilli and vinegar. The serving size was plentiful with a 12 serve only costing us $8.50. Other variations include egg & chives, pork & Chinese cabbage, pork & seafood, lamb & celery, lamb & onion and lamb & carrot. The dumplings can also be boiled or tossed in a light pan-fry.

These pan-fried mini pork buns were piping hot and so filling! The crunchy base was addictive so I found myself finishing off more than I should have! But I think I'd still prefer the crab filling from Shanghai Night / New Shanghai in Ashfield.

Today, the signature Xinjiang handmade noodle stir-fry was heavier than usual but the combination of Chinese cabbage, tomatoes and capsicum provided relief.

Nothing beats a tasty, authentic and highly addictive midweek dinner at Chinese Noodle Restaurant.

Chinese Noodle Restaurant
Prince Centre, Shop 7 / 8 Quay St, Chinatown
(02) 9281 9051

On the weekend... I found myself at the Buddha's Birthday festival in Darling Harbour. I was there for the vegetarian food fair ofcourse!

The Chinese Garden Forecourt was filled with hungry families and volunteers from BLIA (Buddha's Light International Association) and IBAA (Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple).

Here are some of my snapshots -

Buddha's Birthday Festival 2008
Saturday 10 - Sunday 11 May 2008
Darling Harbour

For more information, visit the official Nan Tien Temple events page: http://nantien.org.au/en/news/News_View.asp?NewsID=13

I celebrated Valentines Day a day early this year because the man had a work thing on the next night. That makes this post exactly 41 days late. Nonetheless, the 'Yoshii Course' degustation was truly memorable and simply marvelous. Even just reading through the menu, I can recall the taste of the black cod marinated with blue cheese flavoured miso. Ah, and the milk fed sashimi served with forest mushroom dressing was divine also... as was the blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll.

I heart Yoshii... and you too, Zen ;-)

On arrival, I was pleased to find that the restaurant was just as intimate as my first visit. Candles were lit in tiny Moet & Chandon glasses against the wall. As we cleansed our hands with the warm towels, a young Japanese woman highlighted the different degustation sets. She took our drink orders and then bowed as she went to prepare them... leaving us in to adore the tantalising menu.

The sea urchin egg cup was a fabulous starter. The stock and egg white was light like custard and the egg yolk and sea urchin was rich and savoury. The snow pea and radish balanced and enhanced this dish.

The quintuple of entree was a tasteful artwork. It consisted of ocean trout with wrapped nashi pear served with kimizu, blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll, grilled pacific oyster Matsumae style, deep fried kanpyou marinated with ginger juice and soy; and camquat with foie gras mousse pie.

This blue swimmer crab and goats curd avocado roll was my favourite of the five. The avocado's creaminess was matched perfectly with the delicate crab flavours. From memory, the leaves below were tiny trimmed shiso leaves... full of freshness!

The other entrees were interesting but not outstanding... and the cumquat with foie gras mousse pie was a disappointment as I tasted nothing but pastry. On the other hand, the next course was by far my absolute favourite! Who would have thought blue cheese would go so well with miso? Served with lotus root, celery and sesame toast, I tried desperately to extend the the buttery flavours in my mouth. I'd love to be served nothing but this as a main course.

The milk fed veal sashimi served with forest mushroom dressing was gorgeous to look at. The accompanying vegetables were cut into pretty flowers and some were shaved into tiny dainty shreds. The veal could have better been classified as rare than sashimi since the sides were grilled and not completely raw. But hey, I'm not complaining! The centre was a tender pink and the soy-based dressing was earthy and scrumptious.

After having the rose gum smoked wagyu beef with horse-raddish and turnip puree in tamari reduction, I promised myself I'd never consider becoming a vegetarian. It was tasty... very tasty... & the presentation was adorable too.

Ooo... this sushi platter had so many varieties of fish I instantly forgot them all! It was uber yummy :-)

For dessert, we had a few options to choose from. Zen opted for the mousse of mascarpone with soy powder and black sesame and I had the red bean spring roll with green apple and wasabi sorbet. Considering the fact that I've just had over 9 courses... this 1 dessert course didn't feel enough.

That night ended with a regular scoop of cookies and cream ice-cream in a waffle cone. It didn't look or taste as good as the green apple and wasabi sorbet, but at least it satisfied my sweet tooth.

Yoshii Restaurant
115 Harrington Street Sydney
Phone: 9247 2566
Web: www.yoshii.com.au

You can also read about my previous visit to Yoshii here.

Every time I'm in the Broadway area, which isn't often... I cannot resist stepping into Bourke Street Bakery. Yesterday was no different.

However, I think I ate the bad batch. Is there really such a thing, you ask?

I left the 5 megapixel point and shoot camera at home to charge... so here's my proof, taken with the handy 2 megapixel camera on my Nokia 6110.

The tart, clearly becoming a signature item has increased to $4.40. The case and custard was still as I had remembered... divine. The brulee was unfortunately a bitter, burnt toffee.

So, this visit wasn't as satisfying as my previous... but it's not going to stop me from trying another batch, another day.

Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 George Street / Parramatta Road Broadway
Near Kinkos & Mountain Street
Phone: 9281 3113

Also at:
633 Bourke Street Surry Hills
474 Gardeners Road Alexandria (on the corner of Ellis Ave)

This is the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from my seat. Fabulous aye?

Flying Fish is located in a warehouse along Pyrmont's Jones Bay Wharf, just off Pirrama Road. The story hasn't changed much since Zen and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary at Aria Restaurant. Monday morning, I had asked Zen to make a reservation at Ocean Room... Friday morning comes and he finally makes the call, only to be informed that they were booked out for a private function. Flying Fish was second on my list, so off we went to a double booked table.

We arrive early and eager at 6:00pm with a 6:15pm reservation. We're reminded that they must clear the table at exactly 7:45pm for the next table and the waitress also recommends we go for a 2 course, of either entree and mains or mains and dessert. If the weather permits, we can even take our dessert and tea or coffee to the outside deck.

So, it's 6:00pm and the restaurant isn't ready yet. We sit outside on the bar as the lounges have been taken by business suits. I order the cheeky cheeky mocktail which consists of crushed mandarin, caramelised something and ginger beer. Zen has the Peroni... one after another.

It is now 6:30pm and a few new arrivers have been taken in. We signal that we're ready and are swift away, upstairs to the best seat in the house. It's a private table for 2... facing the cloudy harbour. This is my view of the kitchen (raw bar)... I loved the huge timber walls and light features.

The service is kind and efficient. We're brought out warm linseed or white bread rolls, warm butter and sea salt flakes as the waitress introduces the daily specials and live tank.

We order the Seafood Tapas to share as an entree and it arrives in no time. The scampi sushi was fresh and so tasty, it was my favourite of the four. The other tapas included a kingfish sashimi and an eel dish.

My main course was the Humpty Doo barramundi. It was cooked to perfection with soft flaky flesh. The figs were sweet and ripe, and the pear and herb salad was crisp and simply delicious.

Zen had never seen white asparagus before but was delighted with the taste. The Wagyu was char-grilled to a tender medium and was much bigger than it looked.

Now, look at these huge hand cut chips with chilli salt. They were thick, golden, crunchy and so flavoursome.

At precisely 7:40pm, not rushed at all, we asked for the bill and left our gorgeous table view. There were a few seats outside and the rain had cleared... but we were too full for dessert.

Flying Fish is now one of my favourite restaurants. The ambience was stunning, the food was fabulous and the service was sweet.

Happy 5 year anniversary, Zen.

Flying Fish restaurant
Jones Bay Wharf, Lower Deck
19 - 21 Pirrama Road Pyrmont
T: 9518 6677
W: www.flyingfish.com.au

[!] This post isn't really about food

Eugenia is the first of B.DesComp's 2004 grads to get married... woohoo! So here we were on Saturday night, to congratulate the bride-to-be.

For $55 plus drinks, we were fed and entertained...

Starters were bread, fried eggplant, dolmades (aka stuffed vine leaves), celery & carrot sticks with dips. The tzatziki was deliciously refreshing and the fried eggplant was light and crispy.

The Greek salad was traditionally tossed with plentiful olives, onion, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumber.

I really loved the fried halloumi cheese. It was pan-fried to a golden brown and was flavoured with oregano, olive oil, salt and lemon. The texture was hard... quite similar to chicken... and very addictive!

We were then served more filo pastry with spinach and feta cheese... as well as a seafood and meat platter. All you need to know is that Mykonos is very generous with the serving portions. We were stuffed... but luckily burnt it out on the dance floor :-D

The theme was 'devilicious'... like our horns?

For more photos of the night (including a few R-rated ones), visit my Flickr set flickr.com/photos/foodiejenius/sets/72157603100981425.

Mykonos on Crown
248 Pitt Street Sydney (Basement of Zodiac Hotel)
Web: www.mykonosoncrown.com.au/php/welcome.php

Machiavelli needs no introduction. It's reputation has been flourished by the high rollers and politicians of Sydney and with that, expect to pay the high prices.

Tradition and familiarity are key aspects of Machiavelli's success. Old men, all groomed well in black suits and bow ties fuss about the preparation table while others wait tables. The menu is small but has the fine usuals including Bolognese and Steak Diane.

We started off with some smoked salmon, served fresh with generous amounts of capers and thinly sliced onion.

The fried zucchini flowers were delicious too. The innards were filled with a gorgeous ricotta blend and the blossoms were airy and crisp.

I ordered the fusilli crab as my main. Tender flakes of crab meat were intertwined with a creamy white wine sauce. It was a huge serving but was it $38's worth?

Funnily enough, we had walked past a McDonald's on our way here... and the French Fries were exactly reminiscent of that. They were identically fried to a golden brown crunch, but served in a cute iron pan.

My companion had the pepper steak which was a perfect medium-rare...

The strawberries were irresistible... All night, I watched as they were picked, cut and flamed over a blue light. MmMmmm...

We walked out, full as can be... greeting and waving to some old Italian friends. Machiavelli isn't a place you'd go daily... not unless it was a business-paid-for expense of course.

Machiavelli Ristorante Italiano
123 Clarence St Sydney
Monday -Friday 12 noon - 2:30pm & 6 - 9 pm
Closed weekends and Public Holidays
Tel: 9299-3748
Web: www.machiavelli.com.au

I love this place with passion. Bourke Street Bakery has delicious savoury breads, sourdough of all sorts and my favourite tarts.

They used to do an amazing pistachio and ginger brulee tart which seems to have been replaced by this vanilla brulee tart with strawberry puree. (A good thing since strawberries are in season now)

The tart was gorgeous. A delicate layer of crystalised sugar floated lightly above the creamy vanilla filling. The buttery case was rich & just as satisfying!

I also picked up a plain croissant to munch on... it was light and flaky.. mmmmmm :)

Bourke Street Bakery on Broadway
130 George Street / Parramatta Road Broadway
Near Kinkos & Mountain Street
Phone: 9281 3113

Also at:
633 Bourke Street Surry Hills
474 Gardeners Road Alexandria (on the corner of Ellis Ave)

This post was due a few weeks back when I was craving Yakiniku. Nagoya doesn't compete against Iwa in terms of class, style and presentation... but hey! It's a buffet. That's right -all you can eat for 1.5 hours.

There are various buffet options with respective prices. I went for the Wagyu and sashimi option which includes the following and much, much more:

We munched down 2 huge plates of Wagyu. Sliced paper thin, the well-marbled and endless supply of wagyu was a dream come true. The custard was steamy hot and silky as it should be. It was fragrant with the shitake mushrooms... well worth the 15 minute wait.

This was my first taste of yukke... and I think it was also my last. The raw beef looked slimey and unedible. It was rich with sesame oil and creamy with the egg yolk... but my taste buds didn't enjoy it.

The takoyaki balls were yummy! No where as good as in Osaka but still delicious.

... And we finally finished the 1.5 hour of gorging with a last order of ice-cream and oranges.

Another popular buffet yakiniku is Suminoya... which i will visit soon.

Nagoya Takiniku
Tel: (02) 9212-0007
Shop 3, 78-86 Harbour St, Sydney

Here's our second team lunch, to make up for the first unsuccessful attempt... and ofcourse to welcome a new member to the team!

I've walked past Caliniere plenty of times... but have never really noticed it as one cannot help by stare at the bull's balls along World Square's Hordern Arcade. 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.

I love French and Modern Australian food. It combines the best of both worlds; fresh produce which is served in a rich but not pretentious manner.

Complimenary bread is often a prequisite in European restaurants. Here, it wasn't offered... nor was it on the menu. But when requested, a basket of lovely hot baguette was served with a dazzling mix of balsamic and olive oil.

For some odd reason, N ordered an entree only. One plump ravioli sat in a creamy light sauce. Small and delicious.

I had the scotch fillet which was cooked to a perfect medium. In contrast, the steak was a little cool but the accompaniments were piping hot. Check out my Jenga fries!

M and D both ordered the silver dory... E had the pork belly which looked and smelt scrumptious.

You've probably noticed this... I have a weakness for brulee. I've tried quite a few variations now and this aniseed flavour is on top. I'm used to aniseed being used in savoury dishes such as in the stock of Pho (Viet beef noodle soup). But I have to admit... the spice was such an exquisite twist to the classic creme brulee. I loved it!

There's a promotion running at the moment: purchase 2 main meals and get a free dessert to share! Offer ends 31st October 2007.

Caliniere Restaurant
Web: www.caliniere.com

One of the perks of being a food blogger is the exposure to hidden treasures. Thanks to one of my regular readers, I have recently discovered a fabulous Greek gem. The ironic thing is, it's not so much hidden... as there's a huge neon sign... and I only just work next door!

The Pitt Street entrance to Diethnes leads you down a staircase to a large underground room with plentiful ornaments (perhaps to distract you from the fact that there are no windows). We feel the Greek vibe immediately as we're greeted by jolly waitstaff who leaves a huge basket of bread on the table. The chilled butter was not a good sign as I prefer it at room temperature. Thankfully, the crusty baguette was loaded with sesame and tasted of freshness.

The menu included several banquet options which all looked superb... but there was a minimum of four per order. So without a choice, we skimmed through the house specials and they were just as enticing. I ordered the beef bifteka which was served with a garden salad on the side (not sure why it wasn't a greek salad! I would have loved some herbs, feta and olives...). The biftika was delicious. It was hot, hearty but not too meaty... and somehow light at the same time.

My two lunch buddies ordered the lamb dishes... both of which said the lamb was so tender it fell right off the bone. I'm not a fan of lamb... there's something about the smell. But try it. I've been told it's the one thing you must order at Diethnes.

Albeit full with our belly protruding, we couldn't resist having dessert. The creme caramel was bouncy... jelly-like and gorgeously sweet. The custard pie reminded me of baklava although less syrupy and more caramely. The cream was divine also. It was so airy... & completely disappeared the second it touched my lips, but i'm sure the effects still went down to my waist!

Diethnes definately gives you your money's worth and they cater well for large groups! I'd love to try the Moussaka soon too... but this time, I was positively too full.

Diethnes Greek Restaurant
336 Pitt St Sydney
Web: www.diethnes.com.au

I've been working across the street from Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen the last 9 months. So I jumped at the opportunity of finally lunching there when 2 workmates mentioned that they were planning on trying something new. The elderly Chinese have a respect for this place, and I can totally understand why. They serve delicious vegetarian alternatives and the Buddhist culture is truley brought out in the casual decor, genuine service and hearty menu. Catering for strict Buddhists means that there's no alcohol consumption on the premises. Sparkling juices are prepared in replacement of wine and beer. And tofu or soybean of all shapes and textures are served looking and sometimes even tasting like the meaty variation.

Mother Chu's also do vegetarian peking duck! But considering our limited hour, we only had the San Choi Bao. There were bits of bamboo shoots, shitake mushrooms and water chestnut. I didn't really take notice of the other ingrdients but each bite was full of flavour. You could barely tell that it didn't consistent of meat!

Next was the honey glazed pumpkin and apples. The photo talks for itself. A thick yet light crisp batter coated the sweet pieces of pumpkin and apple. The glazed honey was perfect and wasn't one bit too sticky nor sweet. I'm coming back here for the dessert fritters... available in pineapple, banana and more.

The hot pot was meant to add greenery to our meal. But instead we were served white vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes & Chinese cabbage) in a glutinous curry sauce. The soybean and nori rolls were fried to a golden brown and tasted a lot like fish!

Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen was warm & cosy. The generous serving sizes and yummy food makes it one of the must visit places along Pitt Street :)

Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen
367 Pitt St Sydney
Mon-Fri 12:00pm- 3:00pm
Mon-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm
Tel: (02) 9283-2828
Web: http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/E/V/SYDNE/0020/16/08/1.html

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...

We had the salt & pepper squid to share. The squid was lightly dusted in spice and peppercorns... it was tender and crispy and for $12 it was even served with a side of salad and chips.

Two of my fellow colleagues had the fish & chips...

The associate producer ordered the lamb cutlets which were cooked to a golden brown. They looked so hearty and scrumptious.

And the executive producer had the steak which he finished in record time.

I had the seafood basket which was huge! Crunchy chips, a fresh crisp salad (i was addicted to the purple cabbage), the vinaigrette octopus was plump and juicy... the calamari and prawns were great... but the fish was too fishy for my liking. Even the thick batter didn't hide the odour.

Oh well, a cheap pub meal is all you need sometimes.

Equilibrium
World Square, cnr George & Goulburn Street Sydney
Web: www.equilibriumhotel.com.au

Work kept me back at the office late on Friday night... but here's what I managed to eat while everyone was sculling their 1 Litre jug of beer -

(Happy birthday, Ben)

Lowenbrau Keller
Corner of Playfair & Argyle Streets, The Rocks
Phone +61 2 9247 7785

I've been waiting for the perfect excuse to spend $185 a head (plus drinks) on Tetsuya's 10 course degustation. And here it was... the first birthday of jenius.com.au, which also coincided with my very own birthday!

As the countdown begun, I eagerly read up and drooled over every review online. The week before, I started fantasizing about Tetsuya's signature dish. How it intrigued me... the texture and taste of what lay beneath the crusty konbu (kelp).

The service at Tetsuya's really impressed me. From the moment we drove in via the sensored gates, it seems like everyone was notified of our arrival. The valet parking attendent briskly drove Zen's car away as we were ushered indoors. I suppose it made sense that the seating arrangements and table numbers were set already, seeing that most people would have made bookings at least a few months in advance.

Soon after being seated, a wait staff brought out a basket of freshly baked and still warm sourdough and white Italian bread rolls. The black truffle and parmesan salsa butter was nothing like I had imagined. Its aroma was magnificent. I lathered each mouthful of bread up with a thick spread of the butter. Just for the record, I managed to finish off 2/3 of the pot, along with 2 sourdough rolls. I am in desperate need of a jar of this at home!

Starters was the pea soup with bitter chocolate sorbet. The pea soup was served in a fancy glass... it was robust and full bodied, but the bitter chocolate sorbet didn't really do it for me.

The next was an extra course (add $18)... four plump oysters were served with Tetsuya's famous oyster dressing -grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, soy and ginger. They were absolutely divine!

There are specific ways to ensure you make the most of each dish. Take for example, the second course; we were instructed to break open the scallop mousse so that each fork full contained a bit of everything. This dish was so elegant... creamy and scrumptious!

The leek and crab custard was such a delicacy. The custard was silky soft... the savoury essence of the leek and egg simply complimented the flakes of crab.

The third part of the 2nd course consisted of raw scallops [all-time favourite :-) of mine]... which leads me to say that this dish was the highlight of the night! All the contrasting textures and flavours were married together so well. There were these tiny citrus things which exploded with flavour... the cubed and what appeared to be buttered and toasted coutons deliciously highlighted the light and creamy textures of the scallop. I want more!

It must have been at least 2 hours into the night already because I had started to feel the effects of consuming the 2 bread rolls. Nonetheless, the ocean trout was lovely... as I had fantasized. The salty crusted konbu enhanced every tender bit of ocean trout.

Another favourite course was the next. Truely simple ingredients of basil, tomato and balsamic, served in the most delectable manner.

Abalone? This dish took me by surprise, as there hadn't been any mention of it before. It was such a delightful surprise... the abalone was carefully crafted into artful pieces. The braised ox tail and orange flavours were so flavoursome. It was mouth-watering goodness.

[Edit 1/08/07: Some of you have queried why I didn't write anything about the spatchcock... it was pure laziness! So if you were wondering, the spatchcock was moist & tender. The olives and capers were a flavoursome blend which didn't overpower the natural juices at all. Overall, very rich & succulent... although more greens would have also been nice! ]

The last of the savoury courses was fantastic. Imagine thinly sliced wagyu beef rolled up with a leaf of shiso and cooked medium rare. The earthy quality of the mushroom and the oomph of the lemon, sea salt flakes and wasabi brought me to total amazement. Each of the individual flavours brought out the best in each other... ah, that's what I call team work!

We were advised to eat this in one go. And so we did... it was sweet... and that's about all I can recall :-P

The palate cleansers were so, so, so good! The beetroot and blood orange sorbet was vibrant and uber refreshing. Tetsuya's strawberry shortcake was great too... we were instructed to mix the layers together. I cheekily tried them apart. The bottom was nutty and fragrant... inbetween the cream and strawberry syrup were bits of berries... nothing too special when eaten apart, but absolutely spectacular when consumed together!

What can I say? The next one up was another favourite! I love dates and white beans. The chewy texture and the sweet caramel flavours worked wonders with the shot of espresso.

I asked a wait staff to take this photo of us... and somewhere in the conversation, she asked what we were celebrating... hooray, birthday cake!

I didn't like the cocoa dusted sweet potato balls. It was floury and bitter! But the dates and cookie centred coconut balls were yummy! They looked so simple to make... I might just give them a go in the kitchen!

Overall, I loved Tetsuya's to bits! And yes, the 4 hour dining experience was totally worth every dollar! Thanks for finally making this happen, Zen!

Next on the list... El Bulli!!

Tetsuya's
www.tetsuyas.com

I feel like I'm right at the heart of Seoul. There's a lot of clatter as staff follow the ringing of table bells. It's such a lively room. Hungry people join the queue every couple of minutes. I scan the restaurant, and large majorities of the crowd appear to be Korean. Ah, perfect... it's going to be the real deal. Families, students, large groups and working couples all looked content with their meals. Food really does soothe the soul.

Without a reservation, we lined up for over 30 minutes. That was a long 30 minutes of eyeing everything that came out of the kitchen. So as soon as we were seated, the three of us girls knew what we wanted. A big and warm bubbling hot pot with some kim-chi pancake, please!

Within a couple of minutes, our supply of side dishes arrived:

Then the pot of goodness was served. Mmm... I didn't take a photo after the beef was cooked, so apologies for the raw meat! The hot pot was full of hearty warmth.

Starchy foods are great in Winter too. The Kimchi Pancake was thick and fluffy, and the outside was crisp... it was absolutely divine.

Seoul Ria is the place to be on a cold Winter night!

Seoul Ria
Cnr, George Street & Goulburn Street Sydney City
Tel: +61 (02) 9269 0222

When you get cravings for fresh seafood... where do you go? The Sydney Fish Markets ofcourse! Working in the CBD means I only get such an opportunity on a public holiday or the weekend. So having made up my mind on Friday night... despite rain, hail, storm or shine, I was going to go.

Sunday was gloomy, dull and wet. There were pelicans, seagulls and lots of tourists! I'm a regular at Christie's Seafood. They have the biggest and most tastiest lobster mornay... the prawn cutlets are always battered and fried to perfection... and the same old man is there every day of the week, carefully shucking fresh juicy oysters.

For some strange reason, Christie's Seafood don't do small cold platters with prawns and oysters. So I got mine next door. The spicy seafood cocktail sauce was an appetising accompaniment to the large prawns -tangy with a tiny hint of chilli. I had left my Tabasco at home, otherwise would have enjoyed my oysters twice as much. Nonetheless, they were delicious!

I heart Christie's seafood basket because it fills me up. There are prawn cutlets, pieces of fish, crab stick, calamari and loads of crispy hot chips.

And last but not least... the lobster mornay with generous servings of salad and chips...

I had really wanted to get some tuna, kingfish and salmon sashimi... but was unfortunately too full at this stage. Haha... it'll have to wait for another weekend!

By the way... Christie's Seafood also do fabulous cooked-to-order abalone and crab :-)

Sydney Fish Markets
Web: www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

...it doesn't mean I like getting ripped off. Passionflower does not serve free tap water. They have a minimum $10 spend per person on Friday and Saturday nights... and for 3 scoops, you're looking at paying at least $12. Now that I've got that off my chest... for the good stuff!

Passionflower no doubt offers unique and delectable flavours with an Asian twist. Some to name are lychee with rose petal, black sesame, jackfruit or durian... and more!

Tonight, we sampled the crepes with 2x scoops of ice-cream. The lychee flavour is sweet and creamy and has lovely bits of lychee all around. The cookies and cream is a classic which is hard to go wrong with.

Next was the Eastern Sunrise. The waffle cup was crispy and looked as pretty as a vase full of fresh flowers. It was ingenuinely glued to the plate with some honey. A scoop each of green tea, sticky rice and taro were mounted ontop of each other, with bits of banana, lychee and orange marrying up the flavours. My favourite has always been the green tea flavour as it particularly reminds me of the Japanese cuisine. The sticky rice was nice too... glutaneous grains of rice were a fascinating texture.

Visit Passionflower at Capitol Square.
Web: http://www.capitolsquare.com.au/html/passionflower.html

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.

And then starters arrived...

...followed by mains, where the serving sizes and lack of oomph broke my heart.

There's always a bitter sweet ending. The brulee looked delectable. The glazed shell looked as though it had been burnt the right way... through my mind, I fantasized about the nutty walnut flavours which would be entangled within the luscious cream... How wrong I was. The brulee was average. The caramelised sugar was borderlining soft. It had clearly been standing out alone for too long...

Kingsley Steakhouse
www.kingsletsteak.com.au

Vanilla Sundae cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt

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.

It was Friday lunch, but I felt the weekend vibrations already. Or perhaps it was an early Three Thirtyitis attack. Whatever excuse it was... feel free to drool.

Cupcakes on Pitt
Shop 2, 323-327 Pitt Street Sydney
Phone: (02) 9264 4644
Web: http://www.cupcakesonpitt.com.au

Girls love pampering, chocolate and gossip. To finish off my heavenly weekend (keep in mind this was wayyyy back at the beginning of this month), I had a manicure and a pedicure... and then arranged for high tea with the girls. I love high tea. All of us turned up in pretty summer dresses and stuffed ourselves with enough sugar to last a year. We spoke about uni, work, family, partners, holidays and aspirations. Nora then joked about it being called 'high tea' because we were so high on sugar. But who could resist? Everything was mouth-watering goodness.

The warm foods were delectable morsels of pleasure. The home-baked pies consisted of chunky pieces of pumpkin, gravy and steak. And the rissoles were spiced with traceable bits of chorizo... so wholesome and rich.

High tea at Swissotel is a 2 hour marathon of fun. It runs between 2 - 4pm and is $29 on weekends, and $25 on weekdays.

High Tea
Crossroads Bar, Swissotel Sydney
Level 8, 68 Market Street
Phone: (02) 9238 8888

I'm slowly churning through my list of February eats. So here's a blast from the past.... Feb 14.

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.

Thanks for a 5 star night, Zen. Love you lots!

Astral Restaurant
Level 17, 80 Pyrmont Street (Star City)
Web: astralrestaurant.com.au

Way back on the 9th of February, the Chinese New Year festival was officially launched...

Cheers to a great start! What I love about being an ABC (Australian-born Chinese) is that I get to celebrate New Year twice. Nothing is better than getting that extra boost of motivation to fulfil the year's resolutions.

On another note... As we were lazing on the grounds of Belmore Park like hobos, I was introduced to a website that was totally dedicated to TeoChew people! For those who don't know what it is... simply put -it is a Chinese dialect. I've never been exposed to much of the history or culture, so now that I'm a member, there's so much to be learnt! Check it out www.gaginang.org.

More info on the 2007 Chinese New Year Festival

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*

Corn Exchange Restaurant
Four Points by Sheraton
161 Sussex Street, Darling Harbour
Tel : 02 9290 4816

Last Thursday night, Eyeblaster AU had their Christmas party...

Port Orient Restaurant transforms into a karaoke bar after 9pm. So while we were really here to embarrass ourselves, the food was surprisingly impressive. For $59.90 per person, we had the 'Special Christmas Banquet' with two entrees (four pieces for $10). And what a great night it was -there was plenty of laughter, great entertainment and fablulous views which overlooked the harbour.

Inside the Scallop Seafood Case were fresh vegetables -onion and capsicum, enveloped within a creamy curry-scented paste...

The Crispy Skin Chicken was perfect! The skin was glossy and crisp, and the flesh inside was tender and sweet. MmMmm...

Another outstanding dish was the salt and pepper calamari, which reminded me of giant onion rings... The calarmari was coated with a thin batter, beaming with fragrant salt and pepper seasoning.

And after we all lay down our chopsticks with satisfaction, the greens arrived.

Port Orient Restaurant
Harbourside Shopping Centre
Level 2, Shop 449-451
Phone (02) 9282 9922

Moroccan food is extensively flavoured with spices such as cumin, aniseeds, tumeric, cinnamon, coriander, and paprika. What I love about the Moroccan cuisine is its lovely blend of textures and flavours... the unique contrast of sweet and savoury. Sumac Restaurant is spectacular in highlighting its cultural essence, from the dimmed lighting, to their fancy glass ornaments. The colourful mosaic tile design even extends to the toilets!

Each plate held a napkin which was wrapped tightly together with a bracelet of antique looking beads. And every time someone arrived, it was inevitable that they tried to squeeze their wrist into it.

Rennae and I shared the soft-shell crab which was so tasty! It was served with a salad of cucumber and coriander, and dressed in a mixture of lemon juice, garlic, cumin, saffron and peppers.

I had the duck as my main dish. The duck was coated with a coarse mixture of pistatios, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, macadamia nuts and sesame seeds, then panfried to a perfect pink, and the falafel cake was rich and crunchy. This was topped up with a sweet pilaf which was a heavenly marriage of figs and caramelised onion.

Although some did complain of the small portions, I thought my meal was splendid...

Sumac Restaurant
The Promenade, Harbourside
Darling Harbour

Phone: 9281 2700
Web: www.sumacrestaurant.com.au

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.

As we sat down, starters of goats cheese and tomato jam were served, and our drinks order was taken. I've never been a fan of goats cheese, but the tomato jam and cumin seed crisp gave it a sweet savoury touch.

I had the bombe alaska, which was pistachio and chestnut ice-cream smothered with soft meringue and served with pistachios and a citrus salad. The nutty texture of the pistachio complemented the sweet meringue, refreshing strawberries and citrus juices...

Aria Restaurant
1 Macquarie Street
East Circular Quay, Sydney
Tel : (61 2) 9252 2555

Argh, I'm tired, and exhausted... but I've still been eating. So here's just a quick post from last Friday night.

We were out to celebrate Shamini's birthday... Happy Birthday Sham!

The next two dishes were the stand-out of the night. The Ayam Blues was fabulously rich, buttery and crispy. There was also an elegant peanut fragrance...MmMm...

The Assam Prawns was uniquely tropical... it was a little sweet, a little sour... and a little spicy.

The service was awesome... they were extremely willing to cater to our needs. The ambience of the restaurant was also really soothing. Peaceful rhythms, a funky interior and great casual alfresco dining!

Chinta Ria
The Roof Terrace, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Park
Level 2, 201 Sussex St

Phone (02) 9264 3211

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.

The spring rolls were a pricey four for $7 (I know... I see five in the photo too). It was as satisfying as an entree being served half way through the mains could be.

Both Jo and I ordered the prawn linguini, which was slightly tossed with tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and chilli. The lemon juice added a refreshing balance, but overall, it was disappointingly bland.

As usual, Sham went for the creamy pasta, and Jordan had the spaghetti bolognese... both looked wonderful and smelt so comforting! But our expectations would never have been met anyway... considering the wait and the service...

Jet Bar / Cafe
Queen Victoria Bldg
Level Ground, Shop 55, Druit St

Phone (02) 9283 5004

I'm so behind with all of this blogging business. I've been tied down with the last weeks of uni (will definately be deferring next semester), and the biggest news is... well, I've resigned.

Moving on, here is another lunch time adventure brought to you by the Eyeblaster girls...

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.

On the other hand, the melt was rather deceiving... I had expected something more hearty. Perhaps with the unnamed riches of pesto or roast eggplant. Instead, pickled vegetables and cheese lay ontop of some crusty turkish bread... Ah, the dissatisfaction...

Cellini's cafe-style menu shows influences which stretches from Italy to Asia. The service was wonderful, and the food was fairly priced and was prepared quite promptly... overall, a wonderful escape...

Cellini's Bar and Restaurant
Level 2, Shop 46-48, QVB Sydney
Phone: 92644671

Operating Hours
Monday - Friday: 9am to 9pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9am to 7pm

It's been almost a year since I've last seen Tracey. We were 'bum chums' a couple years back... and then we grew apart. So, graduated and working - we decided it was finally time for a girly catch up. Who could believe -she's entered the working life as a primary school teacher!

Anyways, craving some infused Japanese food; we headed towards King Street Wharf's Kobe Jones, and were led outdoors to a romantic candle-lit table for two. We sat facing the wharf and soaked in the glorious sunshine (I love daylight saving!).

The Scallop Carpaccio was amazing! Every bite was so smooth and flavoursome... the texture was soft and buttery... mmmmm...

Our second starter was the shallow-fried panko soft shell crab -which was the disappointment of the night. At least now i know i'm not a fan of breadcrumb-coated anything. Nor did I like the stale tasting potatoes...

I ordered the succulent premium dry aged Scotch fillet which was served with a miso, sansho pepper sauce. It was a giant serving... tender & pink...

And what better way to end the night than with dessert! Tracey ordered the dessert sushi with Kobe Jones' famous chocolate chopsticks, and I, without a second thought, had the green tea brulee... which hid a treasure of red bean beneath its mildly crystallised crust.

Kobe Jones probably isn't a place you go to often. The menu appeared somewhat limited... but on the other hand, it could have been pure coincidence that both the soft shell crab and salmon were served in a similar manner.

Kobe Jones
29 Lime Street
King Street Wharf, Sydney
NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: (02) 9299 5290
Web: www.kobejones.com.au

Yay! I've been counting down since last week to dine at the sensational Yoshii Restaurant. This was literally a life changing experience... I learnt anger management; and then I did some self-exploring... and ofcourse I tasted some fine food, which has set new standards.

They say pictures speak louder than words. So I was slightly pedantic with my photography. As you do, I snapped up an astonishing 55 shots. Later in the evening, I overheard a diner ask her partner why people take photos of food... Ahh, I was too involved with my meal to even bother with an answer...

The Hats Off dinner at Yoshii was a twice-off, 10-course degustation.

The restaurant was tiny and the service was nothing special ... but since I sat at the sushi bar, I was able to witness the talented Ryuichi Yoshii execute his dishes in style. The food was absolutely amazing.

Yoshii Restaurant
115 Harrington Street Sydney
Phone: 9247 2566
Web: www.yoshii.com.au

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After the Night Noodle Markets, the remaining six of us Foodies strolled down to Sofitel Wentworth for a Sugar Hit.

The table was split in two when we voted upon the best of the three. It was the creme brulee versus the berry and milk chocolate terrine. To my disappointment, the stickiness and softness of the brulee's caramelised sugar, and the "sweating" terrine proved that the desserts had been prepared in advance. Nonetheless, I found it much more enjoyable than the Sugar Hit at Westin.

Sugar Hit is available 9 - 11pm every night during October - the Good Food Month.

Sofitel Wentworth
61-101 Phillip St, city
Phone: 9228 9157

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Last night was the second last night of the Night Noodle Markets, and it was also my first time hanging out with other Sydney Food-Bloggers; which meant I finally got to put a face to their websites... I met Helen from GrabYourFork, Emily from Pickos, Rebecca from CucinaRebecca, Kathryn from kathrynelliott, Juilia from relookage, Nicky, Ben and Tiff from sweetlittletreat and Anna from morselsandmusings.

To be honest, I was still full from my massive lunch at Ichiban-Boshi... full and tired! So here are my only pics...

I had the Sweet Potato Kusabi from Wagamama... the hand-cut sweet potatoes were crunchy and lightly salted. It was served with a creamy sauce consisting of basil, wasabi and mayo.

Want more Good Food Month events?

Check out the other events covered by Sydney food bloggers.

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Woohoo! After 3 attempts, we finally prepared ourselves mentally to wait in queue. It's amazing how quick 50 minutes could fly while you're salivating over the menu. Giant bowls of ramen were constantly being brought out from the kitchen as time kept ticking away... It was only 12.30pm, and already, the first waiting list was full.

Inside was such a contrast. It was airy with plastic furnishings... and like all the others whom were quietly slurping up their ramen, we managed to finish ours in a record 10 minutes. There goes the 1 hour lunch break.

I had the Kimuchi Ramen which was so satisfying! The ramen was al dente... the broth was brimming with bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, corn and a fatty piece of roast pork (which i consumed entirely). The bright coloured kim-chi was beaming through...

It was a triumph... I finished my ramen with a big smile on my face. I conquered the queue!

Ichi-Ban Boshi
http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au

Bondi Junction - 360 Oxford Street
Town Hall - Level 2, The Galleries Victoria, 500 George Street

In search for some late night sweetness, Zen and I hunted down Sugar Hit at Westin, Sydney... and to my surprise, only one out of the three concierges knew what Sugar Hit was (and where it was at). The armchairs were big and comfy -however, not so practical for dining.

One small but tall ramekin of the brulee, a tiny spoonful of the sour-cherry compote, and a pint-sized biscott lay on each of the corners of a large glass plate... what happened to the portion-size to plate-size ratio?

Take me back to Park Hyatt any day!

Sugar Hit is available 9 - 11pm every night during October - the Good Food Month.

Westin Sydney
1 Martin Place, Sydney
Phone: 8223 1197

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So, it's already the second week into the 2006 Good Food Month, and this is only just my first encounter for the year... I promise there will be more!

Bookings are essential, says the website. But are they really? I scored fabulous window seats, with a stunning view to Sydney Harbour and the Opera House -without a booking. The waiter introduced the Sugar Hit tasting plate, took away our dying candle for replacement, and ensured us that he would "remove" the cockaroach which was creeping beneath my seat. A good ten minutes later, he turns with a bottle of Brown Brothers Moscato. No candle, and no removal of the pest. The Moscato was beautiful, it was so refreshing, sweet and fruity.

By the way, did I mentioned it was priced at only $15 including wine?

Sugar Hit is available 9 - 11pm every night during October - the Good Food Month.

harbourkitchen&bar
park hyatt sydney
No.7 hickson road the rocks, Sydney
telephone + 61 2 9256 1661
email hkbar@hyatt.com.au

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Eat In @ Piccadilly is my new lunch destination. It is much smaller than the food courts in Mid City, Imperial Arcade, or Sydney Central Plaza... but there are plentiful seats, so there's no longer a war to fight for tables, and whilst we were limited to about 7 outlets, the quality and freshness of this place was a great change from the usual chaos.

I will definately be returning to Eat In @ Piccadilly. I couldn't help but notice how plastic take-away containers weren't being used... it felt so peaceful tucking into food which was stacked neatly on a white ceramic squared plate.

Eat In @ Piccadilly
Piccadilly Centre, Pitt Street, Sydney
Web: http://www.piccadillycentre.com.au/eatinpiccadilly.amx

On a breezy spring evening, Zen and I strolled along King Street Wharf seeking a warm dinner to satisfy our grumbling stomachs. Casa Di Nico looked so warm inside, and the idea of hearty pasta and seafood locked in our choice.

Casa Di Nico
The Promenade - King Street Wharf, Sydney
Tel : (02) 9279 4115
Web: http://www.nicks-seafood.com.au/casa_di_nico.htm

Early this week, the office headed down to Bar333 to welcome Jo to our team...

Bar 333
Shop 1, 333 George Street Sydney
Phone: 02 9299 8333
Web: www.bar333.com.au