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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?

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!

Grilled pacific oyster Matsumae style

Deep fried kanpyou marinated with ginger juice and soy

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.

Black cod marinated with blue cheese flavoured miso

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.

Spanner crab mousse wrapped with long net mushroom in edamame bonito... hmm... I don't seem to remember this course much... the bonito was grainy but pleasant and nothing like pea soup. The crab mousse was crabby, the way i like... and the long net mushroom wrap made it all taste a bit like tofu and even slightly spongy!

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.

The lemongrass sorbet was too heavy on the champagne for my liking... but was still a nice palette cleanser.

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.

According to eatability, Coconut Thai is THE restaurant to visit... fabulous service, authentic, tasty and affordable food. So when the restaurant across the street asked us to wait 15mins to be seated, we naturally declined and gave Coconut Thai a go.

complimentary starter - spicy prawn crackers

The service here proved to be a standout... attentive, knowledgable and just really sincere. As I sat there flipping through the menu, munching on the complimentary spicy prawn crackers, I was eavesdropping (as you do). The young waitress was explaining to the group beside us, that they should looking for an oyster sauce based stir fry because they didn't want anything hot. What's better than helpful waitstaff who know what they're talking about.

A favourite Thai dish of mine has always been the duck curry. I adore the unique addition of tropical fruits... the cherry tomatoes, grapes and pineapple balanced out the richness of the duck and coconut milk so well.

duck red curry with grapes, cherry tomatoes, pineapple & basil

The menu provided plentiful to choose from. So we ended up selecting the next two dishes from the specials. One of Coconut Thai's house speciality are mussels stir fried with chilli and basil. Although I had expected the mussels to be served with the shells intact, it was simply a pleasure to eat them whole. Eat bite was full of flavour... simply delicious with the fresh capsicum, onion, bamboo shoots, string beans, shallots and ofcourse chilli.

mussels & vegies tossed in chilli basil

Another house specialty which I couldn't resist ordering was the Poh Tak Seafood. And you can surely tell why it's on the specials list. The soup was cleansing and fragrant with stalks of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Amongst the fish, scallops, prawns and squid were mushrooms, tomatoes, dried and fresh cut chillis.

Poh-Tak Seafood - clear Tom Yum soup with mixed seafood

Upon leaving, we were also presented with a tiny frangipani candle and mint chocolates. These weren't the ordinary types either... the centre was moist... fudge-like... mmmmm...

chocs & gift

Plus with all the waitstaff wishing us a good night, I almost felt like a local :-)

Need another reason to visit? Coconut Thai boasts an impressive vegetarian menu, which includes over 30 different dishes!

Coconut Thai
187 Keira Street Wollongong
Check out their MySpace & menu

Arun Thai is nothing like your corner Thai takeaway. The interior is sophisticated, the menu is classy and the service is thoughtful. The staff were dressed in matching uniforms, and each dish on the menu was carefully marked with its degree of hotness.

Zen and I were starving, and cautious about over-eating... so we skipped the starters, and went straight for the mains. I can never pass on Thai soup. I love the unique texture and the spices... ooh yes, the spices! We ordered the Tom Kha Gai to share, which was a pricey $11. The waiter then warned us of the small serving size, and true, it wasn't enough to share... but the flavours were eccentric.

Tom Kha Gai: chicken & mushrooms with coconut cream, lime juice and dried chilli

At this stage, the restaurant was full to capacity... Still, it's not an excuse for the mildly disappointing beef stir-fry. The beef was dry and chewy and sat scattered over the plate... soaking in its own juices. It was nothing like the harmony of chilli and basil I had salivated over.

Pad kapo beef: stir-fried beef with holy basil, fresh chilli and onions

Massive pan-fried scallops hid beneath a mountain of lettuce, mint leaves, shallots, ginger, onion, carrot and coriander. The scallops were big, tender and so meaty! It balanced well with the dynamic dressing...

Sang wa hoi shell: sea scallops with young ginger, fried shallots and spicy dressing

Pu nim katium: crispy soft shell crab with garlic and chilli served with num jen ajar sauce

The soft shell crab also lacked imagination. The entire crusty crab was served as 1 large piece... and was encased in a heavy batter.

Unsatisfied with our meals, we decided to treat ourselves to dessert. I really wanted the black sticky rice pudding which was served with custard... but unfortunately, they'd run out of custard... so I opted for the fresh mango with sticky rice and coconut cream instead. The mango was everything summer could be... sweet and exotic... the sticky rice and coconut cream was a little bland, but the mint leaves provided a refreshing touch. During the 15 minutes we waited for our desserts, we were asked three... or maybe four times by different waiters if we'd like to order dessert. Call it attentive if you like, but I thought it was a little disorganised.

Royale Custard Pudding

Mango with sticky rice and creamy coconut sauce

Overpriced? Maybe. Would I dine here again? Probably not. Arun Thai has a great ambience, and the dishes are no doubt authentic... though lacking a bit in the quality aspect, but I'd rather dine at any Newtown Thai outlet for half the price.

Arun Thai Restaurant
28 Macleay St Potts Point
Phone: (02) 9326 9135

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...

Yoshii Restaurant was awarded two hats by the SMH 2007 Good Food Guide.

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

On arrival, we were greeted with an oshibori, which is basically a warm towel to cleanse your hands. All the tables were already set with a bamboo placemat, disposable wooden chopsticks, a piece of coral/rock to rest used chopsticks on, and a print out of the menu.

Goong Chawanmushi Tom Yam Kung. This was a steamed egg custard layered on top with a light Tom Yam broth. Inside, there were treasures of prawns, pinenuts, english mushroom and a coriander leaf. The custard was silky soft...mmm!

Quattro of Entree.

Spicy Tuna Popia. Rice paper roll of tuna, lettuce, shallots and shiso (purple perilla) served with plum sauce and a dash of fish sauce. I love the sharp taste of shiso... it was matched perfectly with the hotness of the shallot and soft slices of fresh tuna.

Baby Octopus Nanban Thai Style. Octopus fried in a soft batter which was soaked in sweet vinegar.

Kurobuta Pork Belly Satay. I expected the pork to be really well marbled, but instead, it was heavy in fat. Oh gosh, it's been too long since I've had the joy of biting into something so fatty and flavoursome! The satay boasted a buttery peanut texture... which balanced gloriously with thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, purple onion and either apple or some type of melon.

Steamed Scallop with Nam Pla Dressing. Freshly steamed scallop served with curry paste and lime infused fish sauce. Above the curry paste was a refreshing scoop of minced radish, a few strings of seaweed, and a coriander leaf.

Snapper Carpaccio served with Fish Sauce and Mango Chilli Dressing. Look at the art of this! Thinly sliced snapper, served with drops of basil oil, mango puree and sweet chilli sauce. We were advised to swish the snapper onto all the sauces... Such great contrasting textures! This dish was overall really light and refreshing.

Deep Fried Jew Fish served with Lemongrass flavoured Amazu Ankake Stock. Delicate... yet firm and sweet.

Steamed Lobster Poh Tak in young coconut. Clear broth with scallop, lobster, lotus nuts, white fungus, coriander, nametake and shitake mushrooms. I even scraped around the coconut for its silken flesh...

Grilled Marinated Spatchcock with Foie Gras Puree and Sesame Kaeng.
My first taste of Foie-Gras... it was so delicate and rich, it just took my breath away! The eggplant worked really well in this dish in allowing me to soak up all the goodness.

Lemongrass Sorbet... with champaigne... a refreshing palate cleanser...

Chirashi Sushi Thai Style. Scattered sushi served with a piece of black cod.

Soup Bowl.

Yoshii Style Mango Tango. Sticky rice with slices of fresh mango, a cherry blossom leaf and red bean sauce.

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

Check out the other events covered by Sydney food bloggers.

Tagged with: gfm06

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 had the grilled perch with greek salad and chips for $8. Hooked on Fish also offer other seafoods (grilled or fried) and salads. The serving size was massive and the perch was satisfyingly soft and flaky.

Both my lunch companions ordered the Chicken Pad Thai from Herb N Spice.

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