Sydney Foodblogger Meetup: Night Noodle Markets and Sugar Hit #4: Sofitel Wentworth

"Oh my god, that's just toooooooo gorgeous!" cooed a gushing Julia, as she peered a little closer at the camera viewing screen."And ohhh," she flicked to the next image, "that is even more adorable!"Rebecca, who was beside her, puffed ever-so-slightly with pride and it was at that exact moment that I beamed with relief and toe-tingling glee; for it wasn't a series of baby photos that Julia was

Southern Cross Hotel, St Peters

Salt and pepper calamariFollowing persistent natterings about my experiences at Oscars in Pyrmont, Veruca Salt and I (along with A and A) decided to head to its sister restaurant Oscars Grill at the Southern Cross Hotel in St Peters. We find it on a corner block along the semi-industrial Princess Highway, a large but meagrely-lit car park provided behind the suburban-hotel.Inside, it's furnished

Dinner with friends

The biggest thing I love about Asian food is its communal sharing of dishes. An array of dishes are prepared, everything is thrown into the middle of the table and then everyone just digs in.Cooking at the table adds another dimension to the experience, especially when friends have been gathered together for a catch-up dinner party. Instead of constantly losing the host to the call of the kitchen

Peach almond muffins

A tin of peaches join a craving for muffins. Some flaked and ground almonds were added to the mixture in a moment of whimsy, resulting in a dense moist muffin that was similar in texture to a friand. I'll be making this one again!Peach almond muffins1 egg30g caster sugar125ml milk50g melted butter1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract125g plain flour1/2 Tbsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt1/4 cup flaked

What's On in Sydney

This weekTHU 19-FRI 20 OCT: GFM Night Noodle Markets (final days!)SAT 21 OCT: Northside Produce MarketSAT 21 OCT: Granny Smith Festival, RydeSUN 22 OCT: Good Food Month Spring PicnicSUN 22 OCT: Danks Street FestivalNext weekSAT 28 OCT: Sydney Food and Wine FairPlus check out all the regular markets and future festivals on the side panel under "Sydney Event Calendar" (scroll down).

Bagan Burmese Restaurant, Strathfield

What type of food do Burmese eat? I had no idea either. So I was most happy to accept Saffron's dinner invite to visit Bagan in Strathfield, apparently the only Burmese restaurant in Sydney.Even better, it tied in perfectly with Sarah's latest Dine and Dish event: Like a Virgin (tasted for the very first time).Bagan was once the capital of the Pagan Kingdom or the First Burmese Empire, with many

Oscars, Pyrmont

Baby barramundiAfter my first visit to Oscars, I thought I'd discovered my new favourite eatery.Shiny wooden furnishings, an abundance of natural light and fluoro green light fittings on the wall gave an upmarket yet casual welcome. The open bar was an island in the middle, surrounded by rustic brickwork; the kitchen was partially open, staff and heat lamps spied from our table in the formal

Good Food Month 2006 Sugar Hit #3: InterContinental, Sydney

Dessert tasting plate:Cherry cheesecake slice on Kirsch compote wine,chestnut and sago cone with Malibu coulis, andpistacchio and praline pyramid with red currant Drambuie saladAfter noodling at Hyde Park with the Sydney Photobloggers, I sneakily convinced the crew to head to the InterContinental for another Sugar Hit to add to my collection.InterContinental Sydney barThe staff were more than

Good Food Month Night Noodle Markets, Hyde Park (Visit #2)

Today's special: tiger prawn pancakes(and note the decorative tiger stripes on the letters too)Another visit to the Night Noodle Markets, this time with the shutterbugs from Sydney Photobloggers on Flickr.And when Tracey said "but haven't you already been to the Night Noodle Markets?", I could only smile and look at the hubbub around me and say "but look at how many different stalls there are!"In

Good Food Month 2006 Sugar Hit #2: Four Seasons, Sydney

Little dessert sampler They don't call it a Sugar Hit for nothing.After licking clean the ramekin that briefly contained a chocolate caramel creme brulee, R, A and I leave the Park Hyatt Sydney in search of more sugary bliss and sweet salvation.The Bar, Four Seasons Hotel, SydneyThe Four Seasons Hotel bar has the usual thick padded lounge chairs, potted ferns and glass coffee tables on a raised

Good Food Month 2006 Sugar Hit #1: Park Hyatt, Sydney

One of my favourite events on the Good Food Month calendar are the delicious yet very affordable Sugar Hits. Available at participating hotels around the city, a specially created dessert plate and a glass of dessert wine or scotch whisky is all yours for a very reasonable fifteen dollars.For my first Sugar Hit of 2006, I headed to the Park Hyatt, Sydney with fellow sweet tooths R and A. The

Ocean Room, Sydney

Bar cod with Greek basilIs there any greater delight than fresh sashimi? Delicate morsels of purest fish, shiny and plump, are transferred like precious cargo into the mouth with trembling chopsticks. It's firm to the teeth yet seems to melt on the tongue, a sensual encounter that is all satin and softness and cleanness of taste.After watching Raita Noda conduct a cooking session on his

Media mentions

It has only just come to my attention that this here blog was mentioned in Sunday Magazine in last weekend's Sunday Telegraph.The sentence, which runs along the bottom of the Appetite food news section (page 38) says:www.grabyourfork.blogspot.com is the blog for Sydney connoisseurs with their fingers on the pulse. Log on to find markets, new restaurants and cooking tips.To say I'm flattered is an

Cooking session with Raita Noda, Ocean Room, Sydney

It's not everyday that you receive an invitation to attend an "intimate cooking session and lunch" with Raita Noda, Chef de Cusine at Ocean Room at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay.It was a rhetorical invitation really, especially since I had long been a fan of Noda's dishes at Rise in Darlinghurst, but had yet to sample his new east-meets-west take on seafood at Ocean Room.An eager

Good Living Growers' Market, Pyrmont

Artichokes from Grima ProduceWith Good Food Month on, the October Good Living Growers' Market was predictably flush with food-lovin' Sydneysiders. Many food stalls were sold out and packed up by 10.15am, but the public stayed on, many of them watching the special cooking demonstration by Justin North from Becasse.Justin North with Joanna SavillThe set up was much more elaborate this year: last

Night Noodle Markets, Hyde Park

It's a welcome novelty to traipse through Hyde Park during Good Food Month's Night Noodle Markets. The smell of stir-fried noodles and deep fried salt-and-pepper squid hangs deliciously in the air, whetting the appetite and stirring the soon-to-be-impatient grumbling stomach.Saffron and I joined the hubbub of night-time crowds on Friday for our first look at this year's markets. The biggest

Tomato, rocket and labneh salad

In a week of excessive fooding--with more gluttony to come--a fresh pick-me-up salad does wonders for the digestive system.Toss together a handful of wild rocket, juicy chunks of vine-ripened tomato and a couple of squeaky green basil leaves. Crumble over some smooth creamy labneh, then slosh the lot with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, salt flakes and a generous twist of freshly

Becasse, Sydney

Hurrah! It's Good Food Month and what better way to kick off proceedings than with a Hats Off dinner at Becasse. Awarded Restaurant of the Year by the SMH 2007 Good Food Guide--a hitherto unheard-of achievement by a two-hatted restaurant--we were keen to toast the success of Justin and Georgia North, current darlings of the Sydney food scene.

The special six-course degustation ($130 plus wine)

Snapped: Chinese Gardens

Door knockers at the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour, Sydney

What's On In Sydney

This weekTUE 3-SUN 22 OCT: Art & AboutWED 4-FRI 6 OCT: Good Food Month Night Noodle MarketsFRI 06 OCT: Donna Hay demonstration at DJs Market StreetSAT 07 OCT: Donna Hay demonstration at DJs BondiSAT 07 OCT: Good Living Growers' Market, PyrmontSAT 07 OCT: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSAT 07 OCT:Farmers Market, Ent QuarterSAT 07 OCT: Orange Grove MarketsSAT 07 OCT: Warwick Farm Trackside MarketSUN 08 OCT

Fair Trade Coffee Company, Glebe

The Fair Trade Coffee Company opened in Glebe in late August, the first cafe in Sydney to sell and serve coffee and tea that is only fair trade, meaning Third World producers are actively paid fair prices.The cafe also has an extensive eat-in menu with breakfast served until 3pm and a range of light meals and daily specials.Fair Trade Coffee Company front counterSaffron and I had only popped in

Cabramatta Moon Festival

We didn't get down to the Cabramatta Moon Festival until quite late in the day, when John Street was decidely strewn with assorted litter and squashed remnants of fluoro green and pink silly string.Pai Lau gate in Freedom Plaza, CabramattaThere were still plenty of people about, but at this hour there was room to move. There were still mountains of food available too.Cha gio spring rollsCashew

Beard Papa, Chatswood

Beard Papa: now in vanilla, chocolate and green teaWhile we're on the subject of green tea obsessions, I should also mention that we recently sampled the green tea custard puffs from Beard Papa.The usual tray of samples on the counter saw us all reach eagerly for the little bite-sized mouthfuls of choux pastry filled with matcha custard. It was a delicate taste of matcha within the satiny smooth

Tokyo Mart, Northbridge

Toothpick holdersA follow-up visit to Tokyo Mart, the biggest Japanese grocery shop in Sydney.I really could spend hours, no, make that days, in here. The first ten minutes were spent in the crockery aisle, pawing ceramic bowls, delicate tea cups and a fruit salad collection of colourful chopstick rests. Then it was a meander through the kitchen section, a wander along the vertical freezers and

Mooncake Mania

With the height of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival due on October 6, it's currently mooncake mania all over Chinatown. Mooncakes, rich in lard and the goodness of egg yolk, are exchanged between families, and it seems like the tins and the packaging get more and more elaborate every year.And Festival Addict says don't forget the Cabramatta Moon Festival on this Sunday.Related GrabYourFork posts:

Taka Tea Garden, Sydney

Roasted peas and gyokuro teaHow much do you love your green tea?If you're not sure of your response, the test is easy. Try the green tea healthy lunch set at Taka Tea Garden.I'd always been intrigued by the lunch counter at Taka Tea Garden at World Square (for some reason marked as Rosa Tea House above the door despite all the Taka Tea Garden brochures inside). Sure the tins of loose tea leaves

Toby's Estate, Chippendale

There is something infinitely satisfying about cupping your hands around a big bowl of steaming coffee. Size does come into it, but it's also the comfort factor (and Parisien nuances) of slowly sipping at a coffee receptable the size of a small soup tureen.There is no doubt that Toby's Estate have their own legion of coffee fans. The queue at their stall at the Good Living Growers Market

Tomodachi, Broadway

Chicken katsudon $9.50Deep-fried chicken with egg and topped with spring onionServed with steamed rice and miso soupTomodachi means friend in Japanese, and so it seemed apt that Saffron and I lunch there the other week.It helped that we both love all things Japanese. And it definitely helped that our lunch was speedy and most delicious.Deborah had the chicken katsudon, a cavernous square-shaped

85C Cake Shop, Sydney

Strawberry tiramisuThere’s a new cake shop in town.Thursday night and I receive an email alert from food spy tracey who tells me "there’s a new cake shop on George Street". It doesn't take me long to find it (especially when I ask a pair of girls holding distinctive red cake boxes "Excuse me, whereabouts did you get that from?").Display window85 degrees is a new era of cake decadence. Apparently

Auburn Street Festival

Another weekend. Another festival.A sun-drenched summery day--all blue skies and not a cloud to be seen--greeted today's Auburn Street Festival. It was a tough call between the Bankstown Bites Food Festival and the Auburn Street Festival, but the allure of dondurma ice cream was too strong to resist. Besides, I had checked out Bankstown Bites last year, whereas the Auburn Street Festival was

Banana Bread With No Bananas

I miss my bananas. In March of this year, Cyclone Larry decimated Innisfail, in Queensland's far north, and with it 80% of Australia's banana plantations. Bananas which used to cost about 99c to $3 per kilo rocketed to $16 per kilo. Six months later the price of bananas is still at about $12-$14 per kilo.Banana bread is now rarer than hen's teeth. Banana bread made with real bananas, that is. So

I made me a sandwich

Ok so I have a thing for cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches, but how could you not? Sweet slices of ruddy red vine-ripened tomatoes, shavings of sharp vintage Cheddar and a generous handful of basil leaves combine for a lunch that is healthy and tasty.A crusty fresh bread roll is my preferred canvas; a sprinkle of sea salt and several twists of freshly cracked pepper provide the final touches

Post Cafe, Marrickville

Post brekkie $12.90Two eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and coffee or teaIt's easy to work out how Post Cafe got its name: the white capitals that spell Post Office are still there on this heritage-listed building.Inside the high ceilings, white walls and polished floorboards make this cafe seem large, spacious and airy. Extra large windows let in plenty of warm sunshine and there's ample walking room

Famous Amos Cookies

I'm a sucker for trying anything new, so when we were in the area of Famous Amos recently, I couldn't resist indulging in some edible research.Famous Amos cookies are a huge American cookie company now making its way to Australia. The story goes that when Wally Amos worked as a talent agent with the William Morris Agency, he would bake and send little choc-chip cookies to celebrities he was

What's On in Sydney

Your reminder post with what's being eaten this weekend and next:This weekend SAT 23 SEP: Auburn Street FestivalSAT 23 SEP: Bankstown Bites Food FestivalSAT 23 SEP: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSAT 23 SEP: Farmers Market, Ent QuarterSAT 23 SEP: Kings Cross Organic MarketSAT 23 SEP: Orange Grove MarketsSAT 23 SEP: Warwick Farm Trackside MarketSUN 24 SEP: Brazilian FestivalSUN 24 SEP: Newtown

Marrickville Festival

Dancers from the Filipino Inner West Migrant GroupMarrickville is one of Sydney's booming suburbs. In the 1950s it flourished with the influx of Greek migrants, in the 1980s it welcomed a burgeoning Vietnamese community. These days it basks in a diverse mix of cheap restaurants, Asian grocery stores, Vietnamese bakeries and yeeros shops. Over the past couple of years, new apartment blocks have

Northside Produce Market

Goose eggsIt's been six months since we last visited Northside Product Market, but everything was just as we remembered it. The casual stroll of Northside shoppers means it's a little easier to chat to the market stall owners. We found out, for instance, that apparently geese only lay eggs once a year, and the goose eggs above would reveal an egg yolk about the size of half a cricket ball.But

Menya, Haymarket

"Irrashaaaaaaai-mase!"

Whenever I encounter this chirpy high-pitched wail in Japanese clipped staccato, it always make me smile. Japanese custom dictates that staff greet the arrival of every customer, a echoing catcall that bounces from the floorstaff and through the kitchen like a verbal Mexican wave.



Menya Japan Noodle Bar is a little bit of ramen in a jostle of Chinese noodle shops in the

Diethnes Greek Restaurant, Sydney

Lambs brains. Until recently, they made me shudder. My earliest encounter with them had repulsion, my eight-year-old stomach churning as I watched my Mother and sister enthusiastically chomp down a plate of them together. The brains had been steamed as is, a morbid haul of creamy-grey cooked cerebellums.But then a lot of things are disgusting when you're a child. Hated oysters; now I love them.

Friday Fun: Super Sized Meals

My new favourite website is Super Sized Meals, and not just because they recently featured a Grab Your Fork post (that's actually how I found the website).There are hours of delighting in grossness here. Gargantuan food servings never fail to thrill and amuse me. Who doesn't want to marvel at the sight of a giant icecream sundae in India or the grease-fest that is an In-N-Out burger with 100 beef

Roasted pumpkin salad with toasted almonds

After its enthusiastic reception at our fondue party on Sunday, I promised Deb and Bowb I'd post the recipe for the roasted pumpkin salad I brought along.Realistically, it doesn't even require a recipe; all you need is day-old roast pumpkin, seasonal greens and some nuts for texture: almonds or pinenuts work well. And because you make the pumpkin the night before (cook extra pumpkin and enjoy a

Fondue with Friends

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon when five foodies congregated in the name of cheese: Deb, Bowb, friends and I. The skies were a gloomy grey, the rain pit-pattered rythmically against the windows and a winter-like chill hung in the air: it was the perfect setting for a bubbling lava of two cheeses (gruyere and emmenthal), a glug of dry white wine, a dash of sweet sherry and a spoonful of cornflour

Farmers Market, Entertainment Quarter

CupcakesContinual sporadic showers and a dramatic temperature plunge last Saturday did little to deter our market browsing intentions.We headed to the Farmers Markets at the Entertainment Quarter, the enormous white canopies offering welcome shelter from the unobliging weather.MuffinsThe cupcakes and muffins loked cute, but with our bellies grumbling at 11am we were more interested in the

Snapped: Sailing on Sydney Harbour

It's been a wet and blustery rain-soaked weekend.So I’m staring at these sailing photos, taken earlier this year, with prolonged wistfulness.The sun was out, the skies were blue, and the wind was amiably filling our sails. I was the winch woman for the port side, and apart from some frantic wrapping at one stage, it was a leisurely carefree afternoon spent on sun-kissed waters.And sure, I'm a

Malaysia Fest 2006

Last Sunday was spent flitting between the Spanish Quarter Street Festival on Liverpool Street, and Malaysia Fest over the road in Darling Habour.Both featured plenty of food, hungry crowds and a program of free entertainment. The food was cheaper at Malaysia Fest, but the queues were also much longer too. I loved the sense of family togetherness here as rugs and mats were laid on grass,

What's on in Sydney

THIS WEEKENDSAT 09 SEP: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSAT 09 SEP: Castle Hill Farmers MarketSAT 09 SEP: Farmers Market, Ent QuarterSAT 09 SEP: Kings Cross Organic MarketSAT 09 SEP: Orange Grove MarketsSAT 09 SEP: Warwick Farm Trackside MarketSUN 10 SEP: National BBQ DaySUN 10 SEP: Festival of the WindsSUN 10 SEP: Italian Forum MarketNEXT WEEKENDSAT 16 SEP: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSAT 16 SEP: Farmers

Spanakopita

I love spanakopita. Spinach and fetta go together brilliantly and the flaky wispy sheets of browned filo pastry contrast delightfully with the spinach mixture underneath.The invention of olive oil cooking spray means an end to filo phobias and messy fiddling with pastry brushes and melted butter splotches. Working with filo has never been easier.And if I'm going to make spanakopita, I always make

Spanish Quarter Street Festival 2006

PaellaThe Spanish are unequivocally admired for their deep-felt passion: for food, for dance, for life, for the opposite sex.So it is no surprise that every year Sydney turns out in droves for the Spanish Quarter Street Festival. Who can resist seared spicy chorizo, jugs of sangria and saffron-yellow paella consumed to the yearning strum of a Spanish gypsy guitar.Festival organisers have done a

SMH Good Food Guide 2007

So the list of hatted restaurants for the SMH Good Food Guide 2007 is out.Even though reviewers Simon Thomsen and Catherine Keenan say: "we've gone casual and become cost-conscious, without wanting to sacrifice standards", the list is inevitably weighted with top nosh (and top dollar) eateries. Reading through the list reminds me of that time in primary school when the school prefects were

Puffy Cookie Puff, World Square, Sydney

It's a strange but appreciated privilege to have not one, but two GrabYourFork readers contact me on the same day to excitedly tell me "there's a new custard puff place just opened in World Square! It's like Beard Papa's, but with a cookie crust and you have to go and check it out!" [or words to that effect]So I have my own contingent of food spies now... kewl!I get to eat dessert in the name of

Good Living Growers' Markets

Baby shimeji mushroomsLast month I missed the Good Living Growers' Markets for the first time in 2006: it was a very sad realisation indeed.So I was determined not to miss this month's one, which was happily bathed in glorious yellow sunshine. It was t-shirt and shorts weather, more akin to summer than the second calendar day of spring.I went a little crazy with the photos this month. Perhaps

Macchiato, Sydney

Garlic pizza bread $4.50Macchiato does good pizza. If I could have had my lunch again, I would have just stuffed myself stupid with garlic pizza bread, a rarity of perfection with its thin crisp base--bubbled up with undulating air pockets--topped with generous scatterings of pungent garlic, a dusting of chopped parsley, and just the right amount of lubricating olive oil.Asian risotto

Blog Day 2006

It's Blog Day today. Squint a little closer at today's date of 31 08 and you can just about make out the word blog.The premise behind Blog Day is simple. Post about 5 blogs new to you, that you find interesting, and watch the tangled web we call the Internet do its grapevine work. It's all about celebrating the diversity of blogosphere and encouraging blog surfers to continue on to sites new to

Al Sofra Pizza, Pide and Kebab House, Auburn

In Cabramatta you will find pho houses. In Auburn, it is all about the kebab.Kebab shops line the main street of Auburn, their windows filled with pide, their backlit menus on the same sea blue background. Thick glistening columns of meat, as wide and sturdy as a forest tree trunk, rotate slowly behind the counter, a charcoal grill hisses when marinated meat skewers hit its surface.We had skipped

It's Definitely Spring

Snapped last Sunday at Sydney Olympic Park during the Boulevard Market: Just Desserts--Pudding and Pie.

Just Desserts at The Boulevard Markets, Sydney Olympic Park

A little bit of Africa at Sydney Olympic Park

Please note: The Boulevard Market has been discontinued

The Boulevard Markets have been happening at Sydney Olympic Park for over a year now, but it was only yesterday that I finally headed over check them out. The lure of a cooking demonstration, titled Just Desserts--Pudding and Pie, may have had something to do with it, but I'm not telling. =)

Haldon Street Festival 2006, Lakemba

It was the annual Haldon Street Festival in Lakemba yesterday. Once again I joined the family-strong crowds to stroll Haldon Street which was closed off to traffic and set up with stalls.Lakemba is a real multicultural melting pot in the south west of Sydney. Greek and Italian migrants settled here in the 1960s, in the 1970s it received an influx of migrants from Lebanon. The Lebanese have a

Me, me, and a big bag of Lindt balls

Here she is. My Lindt ball booty. Last weekend, you'll recall, Veruca Salt and I headed to a one-off Lindt warehouse chocolate sale way out in Eastern Creek, where the queue to enter was half-an-hour long and jostling bargain hunters attacked pallets of unopened boxes.But the prizes, oh the prizes...We have since worked out that much of the stock was 60-75% off. And Veruca also confirmed that

Five Things to Eat Before You Die

I've been tagged by Melissa for an ingenious meme: name five things you've eaten and think that everyone should eat at least once before they die.The idea of a Foodbloggers' Guide to the Globe is brilliant. Who better to provide a passionate list of must-eats in this world for the people than by the people?I've thought long and hard about my top five choice. So long, in fact, that I think I'm the

Kitchen Gadgets: Benriner Turning Slicer

Carrots and Chinese white radishesThese are what you are left with when you use the Benriner turning slicer. I mentioned this kitchen gadget--particularly popular in Japanese kitchens--when I spotted it at The Essential Ingredient in Sydney recently. But the point of this grater is not to make wacky looking nails made of carrot. It's the slicer's ability to create continuous strands of grated

Spring Picnic

Spring may not be officially here, but Mother Nature seems to think otherwise. And so last Sunday a spring picnic was had, one that involved good food, tasty dessert and food-loving company of course.Sunday brought perfect picnic weather. Clear blue skies, skin-tingling sunshine and just the right amount of breeze in the shade. We spread out a patchwork of picnic rugs on an area specifically

Auburn: A Photographic Food Tour

Lahmeh bil agine lamb pizza $1.50"We having our own little food tour in Auburn", emailed a good friend. "Would you like to be our honorary tour guide?"Food. Shopping. More of that irresistably stretchy dondurma Turkish ice cream?I didn't need to be asked twice.And so after a morning spent in the bargain-hunting scrum that was the Lindt Chocolate Warehouse Sale, I found myself back in Auburn again

Lindt Chocolate Sale, Eastern Creek

Lindt chocolate.On sale.Every chocaholics dream come true.On Wednesday I received an email advising a one-day only Lindt chocolate warehouse sale with prices up to 50% off. The ad came as a jpg via a friend of a friend, who received it from their friend and so on.With no information on this event findable on the web, I hesitated to post about it on GrabYourFork, remaining somewhat sceptical about

Snapped: Sydney Icons by Night

Night view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House taken from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Chamberlain Hotel, Sydney

Since its major refurb a couple of years ago, the Chamberlain Hotel is now resplendent in tones of chrome, dark chocolate and lacquered wood. The food remains low-key pub grub. Orders aren't taken at the bar, but at the separate food service counter at one end of the kitchen.We place our orders with the friendly server, and as he taps in our dishes and sorts out the change, I relish peeking into

Weekday Picnic, David Jones Food Hall

Lunch with the girls suddenly turns into a weekday CBD picnic. After a flurry of mid-morning emails debating the ideal lunch spot, we end up doing a quick whip-around the David Jones Food Hall instead.We collect a series of smallgoods, a wedge of blue cheese and a crusty Laurent baguette big enough for three. The friendly woman behind the counter happily obliges my request to cut this into thirds

Homemade Wontons

Every once in a while, I am spurred into a wonton making frenzy. I will be overcome with cravings for this little bite-sized package, its slippery smooth golden sheath housing the tiniest compact pillow of pork mince within.On a quiet afternoon I will set myself up in front of the television, calmly transforming a giant bowl of seasoned pork mince and a skyscraper of wrappers, into my own small

The Tea Room Gunners' Barracks, Mosman

Doesn't every girl love a wedding?There's that palpable sense of romance in the air, a rare chance to get all dolled up and shamelessly girly, and a tear or two shed as you celebrate two fantastic friends pledging a life together.The reception and wedding took place at the Tea Room at Gunners' Barracks on the former military base overlooking Chowder Bay. Gun emplacements were originally set up

The Essential Ingredient, Rozelle

EDIT: The Essential Ingredient has moved from Crows Nest to Rozelle. 
For someone whose every waking moment revolves around food, the Essential Ingredient always triggers an adrenalin rush when I walk through the door. I scan the store quickly with darting eyes: olive oils, verjuice, giant cooking blocks of Lindt, a wall of goodie-filled fridges, crockery, cookbooks, a wall of spatulas... argh!

Hanabi, Sydney

Panchan Korean side dishesThe best part about eating in a Korean restaurant is the assortment of panchan side dishes that will arrive at the start of your meal.I love wondering what tasty morsels will arrive, this Korean version of amuses bouches to titillate the palate, and then, excitement (and frenzied camera action) ensues as a whole entourage of tiny platters arrive on the table all at

Friday Fun: Ok Go

The latest viral marketing success in the blogosphere is this synchronised treadmill routine from Chicago-based group Ok Go. The song is "Here It Goes Again" from last year's album Oh No.Too cool!Ok Go have a blog here. You can check out more of their dance-offs here.Related GrabYourFork post:It's A Big Ad: Carlton Draught ad

Hong Ha Hot Bread, Mascot

Banh mi Vietnamese pork roll $3.00Is the humble banh mi not God's gift to tastebuds?Each mouthful is a contrast between crunchy baguette and fluffy innards, creamy pate and peppery spring onion, sweetened pork and pickled carrot, and salty fish sauce with soothing cucumber. A scattering of lettuce adds crunch, slivers of raw onion will linger for hours later, and the prized lone sprig of

Satang Thai, Haymarket

Chicken with chilli jam with rice $7.50I've often gone by the theory that the smaller the kitchen to dining room ratio, the greater the chance of a decent feed.Satang Thai has about a 1:1 ratio when it comes to kitchen versus dining area. You literally couldn't swing a cat in there, and yet somehow they fit in four tiny staff members, all clanging away over fiery woks or operating pneumatic

Blue Fish, Darling Harbour

There is no sadder sight than a forlorn foodblogger regretting her menu choice at lunchtime.Blue Fish Famous Fish & Chips $24.50Beer battered and served with house tartare sauceTwo years ago we'd tried the fish and chips, and back then I'd said "the batter was a little more greasy than light for our liking". I wish I'd remembered to read my own post before heading back for a second visit to Blue

East Ocean, Haymarket, Chinatown

Siu lung bao soup-filled dumplings $6.00 for fourOkay so this is now the fifth post on Chinatown's East Ocean, but who can pass up a bit of yum cha food porn on a Monday morning?Har gow prawn dumplings $5.20 andFung jao chicken feet $4.20It was only two of us for yum cha on a Sunday, and we stuck to our regular favourites like har gow steamed dumplings, packed with prawns, and sticky gelatinous

Harkola Food World Wide warehouse, Auburn

Salloum Brothers zaatar $3.50 for 500gI'm such a sucker for a bargain. Warehouse and discount outlet shopping has long been a weekend pastime of mine, and new discoveries are always relished with hand-clapping glee.We recently discovered Harkola Food World Wide courtesy of D, a foodie friend-of-a-friend. It's completely off-the-beaten track of the main Auburn shopping strip, a short drive away

Bread Story, Haymarket, Chinatown

EDIT 05/07/07: Bread Story in Chinatown has now closed.Choco Teddy bun $1.50Sometimes it seems like Bread Story is the new Krispy Kreme. When those yeasted donuts first arrived in Sydney two years ago, it seemed like anyone carrying around those dotted boxes had a certain skip to their step. Today in Chinatown, it feels like Bread Story is the new season must-have. The distinctive frosted Bread

DMBLGiT: And the winners are...

Foodbloggers are amazing individuals. Not only do they approach the platter of life with zest, passion and grateful appetite, but they are also committed to sharing their experiences with an increasingly hungry global audience.Every night, foodbloggers from around the world hunch over their keyboards tapping away with unbridled enthusiasm and unfailing commitment. Posts are crafted, words are

Pier 26, Darling Harbour

Love is dangerous. The more attached you become to something, the greater the risk that one day it will let you down. It may be a petty mistake. A slight transgression. But it causes you to rethink your relationship. Question everything you held true. You ponder. You stress. You fret. You over-analyse.But then you step back and think over the good times. Put things in perspective. Lighten up a

Avocado Shake: the green iced mother

It's Sugar High Friday, the theme is ice and thanks to Sarah, I've had a certain song spinning around in my head for the past fortnight.Inspired by my first ever venture into the land of sweet avocado, I got out the blender to recreate the rich creamy green concoction known as the Avocado Shake at home.Avocado with condensed milk sounds bizarre to the uninitiated, but if you like avocado, trust

Superbowl on Goulburn, Haymarket, Chinatown

EDIT: Superbowl has now been replaced by Super Meal.Sometimes there are days when you've had enough of rich heavy oily foods and you just want fat-free plain plain plain. That's when congee comes to the rescue.Non-Asian colleagues don't seem to understand the allure of rice porridge. "Watery rice?", they ask with a nervous tremor. An eyebrow is raised and the question mark hanging in the air says

Hung Vuong, Cabramatta

I had a friend in high school who used to mortify me with her favourite indulgence. Avocado shakes. Yes. That's one sentence.Avocado.And sugar.Condensed milk.Cow's milk.And lots of ice.I was horrified.But I'm older now. More mature. And I'm a foodblogger. It could only mean one thing…We headed out to Cabramatta for some snacking action at sentimental dessert house favourite Hung Vuong.There's an

Food News

No Soup For YouSoup Plus has closed its doors. For thirty years, Soup Plus was the place to go to for live music and a cheap feed. An anonymous commenter tipped me off to its closure, a passing which does not seem to have received much coverage otherwise. Sad news indeed for a Sydney icon that will be sorely missed.24-Hour Blogathon to Feed the HungryMelbourne foodblogger Lisa, from Lady

DMBLGiT: Meet the Judges

Entries for the July edition of Does My Blog Look Good in This have now closed.A record number of 66 entries were received, all of which will now be assessed by a panel of personally hand-picked judges. These are all fantastically talented foodbloggers whom I have long admired. They take awe-inspiring photos, write well-crafted posts and, most importantly, have a love of all things food.Now meet

Italian Forum Market

Portobello mushrooms We visited the Italian Forum Markets last Sunday, its much anticipated return appearance after a prolonged hiatus.The Italian Forum is an ambitious attempt to create an Italian piazza atmosphere within inner-city Leichhardt, Sydney's own celebrated Little Italy. There's a huge square, a fountain, restaurants and cafes in the courtyard, and balconied apartments in lemon-yellow

Lowenbrau Keller at The Rocks, Sydney

You are either a lover of crackling, or you are... a complete party pooper. For what is there not to love about the earthquake tremor of that first bite, the slight adhesion it creates as dry crisp meets your moist lips, the footsteps on gravel crunch as you disintegrate each mouthful, and the trail of crumbs that inevitably scatter down the front of your shirt.So when I heard that the pork

Bo tai chanh, steamboat, and salt and pepper calamari

Salt-and-pepper calamariI adore a homemade family feast. Large communal eating gatherings are a strong part of "ethnic" cultures, and I relish that familiar bustle of cooks in the kitchen, raucous laughter amongst the stress of preparation, many hands making light work, and the cacophony of shrieking children as they create havoc underfoot.Celebratory feasts with the family of Veruca Salt are all

Superbowl Dixon Street, Chinatown, Sydney

There is nothing awful about offal. I love the stuff. It is heaven in a mouthful.Those who disagree have never had it Asian-style: simmered for hours until the tripe is tender, soft and gelatinous. It is cooked in a rich dark stock, taking on a deep honeyed brown as it slowly soaks up a layered melange of flavours.Tripe-eating companions are hard to find, so when Saffron said that she was

What's On in Sydney

Sat 22 July: Organic ExpoSat 22 July: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSat 22 July: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 22 July: Kings Cross Organic MarketSat 22 July: Orange Grove MarketsSat 22 July: Warwick Farm Trackside MarketSun 23 July: Organic ExpoSun 23 July: The Rocks Aroma Coffee FestivalSun 23 July: Italian Forum Market, Norton Street, LeichhardtMon 24 July: DMBLGiT June photo submissions

Breadtop, World Square, Sydney

Twin sausage bunThere's been a recent influx of Asian bakery chains of late. On offer are prettied-up buns with flavours of taro, matcha and durian, frosted crinkly carrier bags with elegant sans serif fonts, and the best part: glass-walled production areas for deliciously hypnotic smell-evision.I love watching the bakers make deft graceful movements that turn globs of dough into droolworthy

How to Make Your Own Dukkah

Dukkah is the new chevre, if its unfailing presence at Sydney farmers' markets is any indication. This tumble of nuts and seeds may not appear appetising, but one crunch of the stuff is enough to make your nose ooh at the roasted aromas, your tongue tingle at the multiple textures, and your tastebuds sigh at the nutty goodness with which it has been blessed.A traditional Egyptian spice, the

Uighur Cuisine, Haymarket

I recently received a friendly email from Jenny, a GrabYourFork reader who, along with other recommendations, encouraged me to try Uighur food, available at a number of dedicated restaurants in Sydney's Chinatown. I had never heard of such a cuisine, and the fact that the Uighur people (also spelled as Uyghur and Uygur) lived in China, motherland of my ancestral heritage (although shamefully I

501 Posts and Counting

As I started on a new entry today, I suddenly realised that my latest post on Hannah's Pies was officially my 500th post. Whoah.Back in February of this year, I provided some brief stats on the gluttony that is my reason for living. Here are the latest blogging figures accrued over 500 posts on GrabYourFork:196 reviews on 148 different restaurants across Sydney13 bakeries, patisseries or

Hannah's Pies, Ultimo (supplier to Harry's Cafe de Wheels)

The meat pie is an Australian institution. Hot, meaty and holdable in one hand (the other's for your stubbie), the meat pie is the brickie's breakfast, the football fan's belly warmer, and the best lunch a bloke could hope for.In Sydney, the most famous pie vendor is Harry's Cafe de Wheels. Open until 4am on Saturday and Sunday mornings, this little pie cart on the wharf has refuelled many a

Charr at Rydges Jamison, Sydney

A good steak these days is hard to find.True beef, the wagyu kind...It's true that it's the simplest things that are the most elusive. We headed to Charr at Rydges Jamison in search of the perfect steak.Sourdough bread rolls(olive and rosemary bread rolls tucked underneath)The dining room is a sheltered quiet enclave, off to the side of a buzzy drinks and bar area. The chairs are solid in a

Tamago: My First Attempt

The Japanese seem to have an affinity for sweets with their savouries. Kare (curry) rice, teriyaki chicken and inari deep-fried tofu bags all have sugary sweet nuances. Tamago, or Japanese omelette is another favourite that appeals to my rampant sweet tooth. This layered omelette is flavoured with dashi stock and soy and sweetened with mirin rice wine and sugar. I often leave my tamago sushi till

Charity Dinner for the Archive of Vietnamese Boat People, Crystal Palace Function Centre, Canley Heights

I'd never been to Canley Heights before, but if there's one thing that will lead me way out (south) west, food would probably be it. There's a strong Vietnamese community here, and as we drove down Canley Vale Road, I loved the chaotic no-nonsense feel of pho noodle houses, bakeries and fabric shops all jostling for my attention.Tonight I had been invited by friends to attend a fundraising dinner

Paddy's Market, Haymarket

Seafood section at Paddy's MarketPaddy's Market. Often over-run with tourists cash-happy for tacky t-shirts, crocodile warning signs and foam stubby coolers. However there are always plenty of locals too, who head to the fresh food section for a bounty of cheap fruit and vegetables, seafood, nuts and dried fruit. It's not as exciting as Melbourne's Queen Victoria Markets, but it's the closest

Victoria's Basement, Sydney

Victoria's Basement is kitchenware heaven. An Aladdin's cave of crockery, gadgets, bakeware, Scanpan supplies, knives and every other kitchen utensil you can imagine all at heavily discounted prices.A few things which caught my eye on a quick browse with Saffron last weekend:Silicon pastry brushesThese were pretty but I went with practicality and purchased the style with a brushed metal handle. A

Mado Cafe, Auburn

Turkish ice cream, known as dondurma is like nothing else. It contains salep, a flour made from the ground tubers of wild orchids, and mastic resin. It is these two ingredients that make dondurma such a textural experience, creating a stretchy chewy ice cream that is virtually impossible to melt.

We stopped at Mado Cafe for lunch after a DIY foodie tour of Auburn all morning. I had been

Does My Blog Look Good in This: 2006 #7 July

Does My Blog Look in This invites foodbloggers from around the globe to submit a favourite photo posted on their blog in the previous month. For more information about this event please click here. UPDATE 24 JULY 06: Please note that entries have now closed. UPDATE 1 AUG 06: Check out the winners herePhotos will be uploaded on an ongoing basis until the competition deadline: Monday 24 July 2006.

Good Living Growers Markets

Last cupcake from Rowies"So do you always vist these markets, or is it just coincedence I keep bumping into you here?"Last Saturday I was sprung. Not by one, but two colleagues I separately bumped into.I didn't tell either of them that so far I've been to every Good Living Growers Market in 2006. Is that obsessive? Or excessive? Who cares... like all good things in life it's always too good to

Turkish Delights: an Auburn Food Tour

Kebab shops and washing powder. These are the two things which stand out as we make our way on a fooding adventure around Auburn. Fooding works best with foodies and in the company of Deborah, Bowb, Sue and Sarah, we assemble one Sunday in a day totally dedicated to eating up Auburn.There are plenty of kebabs to be eaten in Auburn, Sydney's Turkish heartland. Kebab shops here are as much a part

Call for Entries: Does My Blog Look Good in This

Grab Your Fork is proud to be this month's host for Does My Blog Look Good in This.What is it about? Perhaps it's best to quote its original initiator Ronald who says:The idea behind the event/contest is to give everyone a chance to enjoy some of the best pictures of the month posted on food blogs. There are so many food blogs now and stories are constantly posted that it's very easy to miss some

Good Food Show 2006

There is only one thing that drives most attendees of the Good Food Show: FREE SAMPLES.The Sydney Exhibition Centre. 23-25 June 2006. Silent witness to the nature of human condition at its most brutal. Forget about physical violence on the football field. There is no louder crunch of shoulders slamming than the mad desperate scramble for the last sample serving of King Island Beef pie.Okay so

In the Kitchen: Sushi Spectacular

Nigiri with prawns and kingfish sashimiThe last time we made sushi was in January 2005. I know this because that's the last time I blogged about it. Who said foodblogging didn't come in handy? =)It was a long time between sushi rolls, which necessitated an even greater leap to bigger and better creations. As always, my kitchen partner-in-crime was the ever-resourceful and gastronomically

La Guillotine, Sydney

Escargots cuits dans leurs coquilles avec un beurre a l' ail $12.00Snails cooked in their shells with garlic and parsley butter (1/2 dozen)I never made it to La Guillotine when it was in its original location in Albion Place. Back then, I'm told, it was housed in a dungeon-like basement, and the decor, in a gloomy atmosphere befitting its name, was dominated by its prison-like steel bars, rough

Rose Turkish Gozleme House, Drummoyne

Cheese and spinach gozleme $7.00Embracing life as a manic foodblogger has flow-on habits which are hard to break. My little digital camera gets carried around in my handbag everywhere. All handbag purchases are now carefully scrutinised to make sure it meets one major criteria--that it is big enough to fit wallet, phone, keys and camera.As I raced out the door for a girlie day out of factory

Sydney Foodbloggers High Tea at Crossroads Bar, Swissotel

High tea spread... all calorie-free of courseOne of my favourite aspects of hanging out with other foodbloggers is the whole novelty factor of watching someone else take endless photos of their meal. As I watched someone frame a shot, eyebrow furrowed, intense concentration evident as they tweaked that plate just a leetle bit to the left, I thought: Omigod. Is this what my dining companions

Bar Biscotti, North Strathfield

Spiced chai $3.90It's funny how whenever I drive past the old Weston's biscuit factory in Camperdown, I can still smell that delicious aroma of biscuits baking, a combination of heated butter, sugar and flour drenching the air with golden brown caramelisation. The factory no longer makes biscuits of course--it closed down in 2003--but those memories from childhood, of basking in that heavy fog of

Warwick Farm Markets

Bacon and egg rollQ: How many markets can you fit into one Saturday morning? Answer: Three.We started off with the Sydney Flower Market, headed to the Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Gourmet Food Market, and then just for good measure, finished up at the Warwick Farm Trackside Market.Chirpy chalkboardBut first things first: breakfast. Our first bite of sustenance came in the form of a very tasty

Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Gourmet Food Market, Castle Hill

PearsSaturday mornings are best spent in bed, I say, but if there's one thing I'll dutifully agree to set my alarm clock for, it'd be gourmet markets.Last Saturday we headed to the Sydney Flower Market in Flemington at some ungodly hour. By the time we piled back into the car, we were wide awake, so we continued our market martyrdom by heading to the farmers markets in Castle Hill.Castle Hill is

Sydney Flower Market, Flemington

We visited the Sydney Flower Markets bright and early yesterday morning. It may not have been quite as impressive as the flower markets of Europe, but there was still an infectious buzz as customers inspected a rainbow of competitively-priced roses, gerberas, natives and other flowers. It was a crisp chilly morning with only giant flourescents overhead illuminating the cavernous shed at

Osteria dei Poeti, Glebe

EDIT Feb 09: Osteria dei Poeti has now closed.Osteria dei Poeti translates as "tavern of the poets", a name which seems highly appropriate as we settle at our table, admiring its cosy intimate atmosphere, poetry strewn walls, and sense of hidden secrecy on this stretch of Glebe Point Road.The framed poems on the walls are an electic mix, including one from Chilean Pablo Neruda who simply says "

James Squire Brewhouse, King St Wharf

"Oh my god... check out the size of that rack!"We stare agog as our waitress walks past. The beef ribs on the plate she's holding are enormous! =)Its lucky recipient is a little taken aback. The ribs are as hilariously oversized as the ones that get heaved onto Fred Flintstone's Flintmobile.We're having lunch at James Squire Brewhouse, and although our chosen meals don't require a bib and a

Beard Papa's, Chatswood

I know. I KNOW!!!If your initial response to the above headline was anything like mine, your heart would be racing, you'd be blinking in disbelief, and your already overactive salivary glands would really be working overtime.But it's true. It's true. Beard Papa have finally opened in Chatswood. They've been open since the 27th of April. I know! I know! Why did noone tell me?Were it not for

Campsie Food Festival 2006

We headed straight from our monthly shop at the Good Living Growers Market in Pyrmont, to Campsie in Sydney's inner west for the Campsie Food Festival.As always for this event, Beamish Street was closed off to traffic, although the hungry hordes created plenty of traffic jams amidst the myriad of stalls.It's Geoff!We arrived just as Geoff Jansz appeared on stage for his first cooking

Good Living Growers Markets

It was grey and blustery skies this morning but we headed out to the Good Living Growers' Markets this morning regardless.Market tentsRedgate Farm ducks and quailsFresh olives at the Gwydir Grove olive oil stallThe fresh olives were very pretty, especially the ones that were starting to blush into a deep purple hue.Wagyu steak from the Condoblin Wagyu stallBreakfast for one person included a

Georges Bar & Grill, King Street Wharf Sydney

Put lamb on a dinner menu, and hey, I know what I'm having.We had dinner at Georges Bar & Grill in trendy King Street Wharf the other night. I have to preface King Street Wharf with "trendy" because it always strikes me as so. There's always an underlying sense of flashiness about the place: in the architecture, in its patrons, in its uber chic logo.Nevertheless we join the trilling stilettoed

Pasar Senggol Indonesian Street Festival

Another weekend. Another festival.We made a quick jaunt to Frances Street in Randwick, in Sydney's east, for the Pasar Senggol Indonesian Street Festival. The skies were a little patchy at times, but that didn't stop the enthusiasm of families and friends out for a tasty day out.The Japanese stall at the start of the line was clearly not Indonesian. But the wafting smells of takoyaki and dorayaki

Hung Cheung, Marrickville

In ethnically diverse Marrickville, the Hung Cheung is a lone Chinese dragon amidst a gaggle of Vietnamese noodle houses. Housed on the site of a former petrol station, its neon signs beckon at the start of the Marrickville Road eating strip.Mud crab (market price)with ginger and shallots and double e-fu noodlesThis serving priced at $67.70We start with our family favourite, mud crab with ginger

Recipe: Apple, rhubarb and ginger crumble

Winter arrived in Sydney this week with a bone-chilling shiver. Antipodeans don't like the cold. Not unless it's amber and comes in a schooner.So I was more than pleased when an invite to dinner this week promised a heart-warming offer of home-cooked pizza. Rather than bring an obligatory box of choccies, I took a couple of apples and a block of butter with me--the intent to rustle up a thank you

Paddy Maguires, Haymarket

Time is relative. Your perception of time expands and contracts depending on how much fun you're having. Or how much pain you're in.We've had lunch at Paddy Maguires a number of times, but this was the first time we'd dined in a large group. Seven of us had headed over for a celebratory lunch, and after ordering and paying for our meals at the bar, we nursed drinks as we all anxiously stared at

Buddhist Multicultural Festival

Buddhist candle lighting ceremonyOn our race around the Sydney CBD, we briefly paused at the Buddhist Multicultural Festival during Saturday's Amazing Flickrace. However with a brief to photograph portrait examples of the seven deadly sins, we didn't photograph much here. Do you know how futile it is looking for examples of lust, gluttony and wrath amongst a gathering of Buddhists? =)On my way

The Amazing Flickrace

So I didn't get to the Surry Hills Festival on Saturday, but I did have much fun at the first ever Sydney Photobloggers Amazing Flickrace.Randomly allocated to 5-person teams on the day, we tore open envelopes to discover our team challenge was to photograph 7 human portraits that embodied the 7 deadly sins spanning 7 different locations around the Sydney CBD. Our time limit was four hours. Our

What's On in Sydney

Every Fri til 30 June 2006: Chinatown Night MarketThis weekendSat 20 May: Surry Hills FestivalSat 20 May: Northside Produce MarketSat 20 May: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 20 May: Orange Grove MarketsSun 21 May: Sydney Specialist Cheese Show, Four Seasons HotelNext weekMon 22 May: Sydney Writers' Festival (to 28 May)Wed 24 May: DMBLGiT April photos dueThu 25 May: Oysters in the

Sydney foodbloggers meetup

Date: Sunday 18 June 2006 (weekend after Queen's B'day)Location: Sydney CBDTime: dayEmail grabyourfork at yahoo[]com[]au for all the details. Let me know your blog details if you have one.Come one, come all.And yes, of course it's going to involve food!

The Apprentice, Ultimo

Vegetarian spring rolls with a sweet chilli dipping sauceWe had lunch again at The Apprentice last week, the training restaurant for commercial cookery students at the TAFE Ultimo campus.I'm always impressed with the design of the restaurant upon exit from the elevators. The abundance of natural lighting is always remarkably refreshing, and the selection of chairs, carpet and tables have the

More of Buddha's Birthday Celebrations, Darling Harbour 2006

Even more pics from Buddha's Birthday Celebrations, which were held in Sydney's Darling Harbour, 6-7 May 2006.Young Buddhists taking part in the Path to Light Adulthood CeremonyBuddhist literaturePanfrying roti Malaysian pancakeRoti with curry sauceVegetarian rolls wrapped in beancurd sheetsRed bean filled cakesTasty panfried vegetarian bunI couldn't resist this vegetarian bun which was unlike

Buddha's Birthday Celebrations, Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour came alive last weekend with the annual Buddha's Birthday Celebrations held by Nan Tien Temple. A giant Buddha held centre stage on the Chinese Gardens forecourt, flanked by a myriad of stalls selling arts and crafts, Buddhist literature and, most importantly, lots of mouthwatering vegetarian food.You know the food's authentic when all the signs are in ChineseSweet cakes filled

Michitaro, Haymarket, Chinatown

Salmon chirashi $10.90with vinegar rice and raw salmonThere's something very sensual about eating Japanese. It's all wrapped up in the exquisite presentation, the initial hesitancy to desecrate a work of art, the precise delicacy in manouvering chopsticks, and then the slippery smooth sensation of sweet satiny salmon sliding down the throat.Perhaps it's just me though =)Sashimi main $15.50Salmon,

Good Living Growers' Markets

Another gorgeous day for Saturday market-browsing Sydneysiders.Today's radiant sunshine was like a flashback to summer. The flower stalls at the Good Living Growers' Markets were ablaze with brilliant flashes of colour.HydrangeasOrchidRed gerberasI couldn't abandon all you food photo perves though =) The discovery of fuji fruits still attached to leafy branches had me clicking away with glee.Fuji

Canton Noodle House, Burwood

There's no shortage of Chinese restaurants or barbecue shops when it comes to Burwood Road. Tonight we were looking for a quick bite-to-eat before a Saturday night movie session. Sheer proximity and a reassuring crowd of locals lead us to the cheap and cheerful looking Canton Noodle House.As we wait for a table to become available, we admire the handwritten specials on fluorescent cardboard,

Cafe Belle Fleur, Enfield

Chargrilled eye fillet steak sandwich with caramelised onions, aioli, tomato chilli jam and side fries $18.80Forget chicken soup. Sometimes a steak sandwich is just what the doctor ordered.A recent stomach virus had left me feeling lethargic, listless and, even more mortifyingly, lacking in appetite. After three days of gastronomic disinterest (a soul-destroying pointless existence, I soon came

Viva Goa, Pyrmont

For over 400 years, Goa, a tiny state on India's west coast, was a Portuguese colony. Today that Portuguese influence can be found in Goa's architecture, and, more interestingly, its cuisine.Natural foodie curiosity hence led me to Viva Goa, a small restaurant in Pyrmont which claims to be the only Goan restaurant in Sydney. Housed in a red brick heritage cottage, the place is cosy even with the

Poor Knights of Windsor

Stale bread happens to all of us. A beautiful baked loaf, crusty on the outside, fluffy in the middle, dries out to an impenetrable heavy and crumbly mess within days. Give it a little more time, and, with the right swing, it soon becomes a potentially lethal weapon.The latest Is My Blog Burning event (a free-for-all online cook-off for foodbloggers) is Yesterday's Bread hosted by Derrick from An

Deco, Civic Hotel, Sydney

Despite its recent classy refurb, with rich burgundy curtains, grand piano in the corner and art deco fittings, the Deco dining room at the Civic Hotel remains true to its Aussie pub roots: the unrelenting wobbly table."I'm really sorry", says our apologetic waitress, as she disappears out of sight underneath our table. We try to offer some direction as she carefully wedges a folded linen napkin

Blogs on the Menu

I've finally gotten around to uploading some pics from last week's Courier Mail article on Australian food bloggers. Thank you Kelly for so thoughtfully sending me the entire Good Life liftout in the mail! Check out the updated post here.

Equilibrium Hotel, Sydney

It's not often that one gets to enjoy super comfy seating, floor to ceiling views (even if it is just Goulburn Street) and a cheap meal all at the same time.We checked out Equilibrium Hotel, a blokily trendy bar in World Square. It has a masculine feel with leather-look seating, enormously high-backed booths, lipstick red chairs and a splattering of chrome. Pressed metal ceilings provide some

Scones

April 23 is St George's Day. I hadn't heard of it until a Londoner told me about it, but to my satisfaction I noticed I wasn't the only one so blase about it all. It barely seemed acknowleged around town, bar a miserly display of dragon-themed cards near the registers at Clinton's.So what do a pair of inspired foodbloggers do? Create greater publicity with an international bake-off of

Jasmin, Lakemba

Tabouleh $5.00Crushed wheat, chopped parsley, onion, mint, tomatoes, lemon juice and oilIf there's anything that brings people together, it's food. Communal dining is even better. Sharing dishes amongst the table means everyone has to engage with each other, and consumption is no longer a private affair but a loud and colourful group effort.At Jasmin, in Lakemba in Sydney’s south-west, there's

Pier 26 Seafood Cafe, Summer Hill

BBQ chilli octopus with chips and salad $20.50One Sunday morning we found ourselves at Pier 26. Not Pier 26 Bar, our long-favoured lunch spot in Darling Harbour, but Pier 26 Seafood Cafe, in Summer Hill.There's no water here, no piers to be seen. It's inner west suburbia and we're in desperate need of brunch.It's a casual set-up with cane chairs, aquamarine walls and a series of red chiffon

Ikea Restaurant and Sweden Shop, Homebush Bay Drive

Knackebrod crispbreadThe one travel wish regrettably not fulfilled when I was living in the UK was Scandinavia. There were efforts made, but alas, t'was not to be.A much cheaper and easier way of embracing all things Nordic is to head to your nearest Ikea. After examining the limitless practical storage ideas, admiring the funky yet functional furnishings, and really really wishing you could fit

East Ocean, Haymarket, Chinatown

Crispy skin chicken $16.80Ever since the old Marigold closed down (about five years ago now, and still fondly remembered) most of our family special occasion dinners in town tend to take place at East Ocean in Sydney's Chinatown. There's a certain affection in having an automatic standby venue for family dinners. No thought is required, just: "I'll go make a booking."Familiarity breeds contempt,

Water cooler talk, but with photos

I'd forgotten that in an interview with Courier Mail journalist, Natascha Mirosch, early this year, I'd compared the social interaction of the foodblogging community as being like "water cooler talk, but with photos".In hindsight, I'm not sure whether that sounds glib, but the excited chatter and voyeuristic photo-sharing is something I can easily identify with.At the start of the article, which

Big John's Pizza Restaurant, Sans Souci

Caesar salad $10.90With croutons, eggs, bacon, parmesan and anchoviesWay back in December last year (yep, I'm determined to get through the back archives) we headed to Big John's in San Souci.The Big John's Story, printed on their inhouse menus, began in 1985 when a small pizza takeaway opened on Bondi Road, Bondi. Initially manned only by Big John himself, its popularity necessitated an

World's 50 Best Restaurants 2006

The 2006 list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants were announced by the UK's Restaurant Magazine last week.El Bulli claimed pole position, forcing last year's titleholder, The Fat Duck, into second place.Sydney was again represented by Tetsuya's which fell one spot to number five, and Rockpool, which climbed twelve spots to number 30. Seems like Neil's ponytail is no longer limp!Melbourne's famed

Sydney Kopitiam Malaysian Cafe, Ultimo

Belacan buncis $8.50
Green beans fried with spicy prawn paste

I often receive emails from Grab Your Fork readers, eager to disclose their latest dining find. Kopitiam was one eatery that had been mentioned on more than one occasion.

It's not quite located on my regular travels though, down the road from the Powerhouse Museum on Harris Street, and a couple of doors up from the popular Hannah's

Sydney Fresh Food Market, Flemington

"Thank god I'm wearing sneakers".We had made an impromptu visit to the Sydney Fresh Food Market in Flemington, and I was grateful for my enclosed sturdy shoes as I picked my way through mangled boxes and mountains of discarded pineapple tops. Even more ominous was the thought of getting my toes run over by the jostle of trolleys and absent-minded veggie-pushers up ahead.It had been aaages since

Seoul Ria, Haymarket, Chinatown

It's 7pm on an autumn Friday night in Sydney, and ambling through Chinatown are your usual sometime throngs of students, office workers and families eager to start the weekend. But it's not terribly crowded or over-run with people, and even as you shudder and jolt your way upwards in the poky dilapidated box of an elevator on Liverpool Street, you have little idea of what lies in wait to greet

Homemade Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross bunsHot cross bunsOne a penny, two a pennyHot cross bunsIf you have no daughtersGive them to your sonsOne a penny, two a pennyHot cross buns!We were singing this nursery rhyme all day yesterday as we fed our yeast, watched it grow, kneaded with patience and then formed our dough... into a modest battalion of sticky-glazed soft and fluffy hot cross buns!This was the first time we'd made

A Taste for Change: OIYP Gala Dinner

There's nothing like eating good food and feeling good about it. That's the feeling we got at last week's A Taste for Change, a charity gala dinner supporting the Oxfam International Youth Parliament (OIYP).400 guests dined on six courses of dishes, prepared by hatted Sydney chefs, and matched with both wines and beers. There was entertainment by Rai Thistlethwayte and Phil Stack from Thirsty

Good Living Growers' Market

Good Living Growers' Market7.00am - 11.00am on the first Saturday of every monthPyrmont Bay Park, Pyrmont (opposite Star City Casino)Related GrabYourFork posts:Good Living Growers' Market 2006: May ¦ April ¦ March ¦ FebruaryGood Living Growers' Market 2005: November ¦ October ¦ September ¦ August ¦ July ¦ April ¦ March ¦ February

Aldhiaffah Al-Iraqi, Fairfield

For a country which figures so prominently in international headlines, it's strange to realise that so little is known about the Iraqi people and their cuisine.

I'd first heard about Sydney's only Iraqi restaurant about a year ago. It had immediately intrigued me. I had to go but it wasn't until late last year (yes, this is a long-overdue post) that I finally managed to get there.



The menu

Tony Roma's, Sydney

Tony Roma's Original Baby back ribs $27.50 (full slab)Cut from tenderloin and basted with original barbecue sauce, we consider them the "filet mignon of ribs"I love my veggies. And I love my meat.The best meat is cooked whilst still attached to the bone. Bones add flavour, give moisture protection, and give some reassurance that the flesh you're eating really is what it claims to be (chicken

Pier 26, Darling Harbour

Ocean trout with grilled zucchini, figs, semi-dried romas, cider and goats cheese dressing $20.50It's no secret I'm a big fan of Pier 26. I think I've worked out why. The food is reliably tasty and presented deliciously. It's plated nicely without being wanky. The portions are neither excessive nor miserly. And there's always something that tempts you either on the regular menu or the glass-wall

Yots Cafe Bar, Pyrmont

It'd been over a year since we'd last eaten at Yots. A friend had recommended to me, and just as well, as it's so discreetly hidden that you would never find it otherwise, tucked away down a boardwalk under the shadow of the Maritime Museum.I remember tucking in a pair of perfectly cooked lamb shanks, the meat so soft and tender it was falling off the bone. We'd sat in perfect summer sun,

Greek Festival, Darling Harbour

I swung past Greek Fest on Sunday hoping to sample some souvlaki, dolmades and perhaps a couple of loukoumades.Apparently so did everyone else. Tumbalong Park was the most people-saturated I've ever seen. Every Greek person in Sydney must've been there.The queues for food were far too long for me to even contemplate, but I lingered long enough to take a couple of snaps before I extricated myself

Sel & Poivre, Darlinghurst

As a child, I remember thinking about French food as being exotic, sophisticated and only for rich people. French food, I was sure, came with crisp white starched tablecloths, heavy silver cutlery, and food cooked in heavy rich sauces with, ewww, wine.Of course, as I later discovered, French food is nothing like that. The French love their wine and their food but their meals are light and small

What's On In Sydney

Every Fri til 30 June 2006: Chinatown Night MarketThis weekendSat 25 March: Ultimo Pyrmont UPTown FestivalSat 25 March: Sydney, The City Chase - Urban Adventure SeriesSat 25 March: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSat 25 March: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 25 March: Kings Cross Organic MarketSat 25 March: Orange Grove MarketsSun 26 March: Greek Festival, Darling HarbourSun 26 March: Boulevarde

Farmers Market, Entertainment Quarter

Michette loaves of bread from Beb PatisserieIt's been a year since I was last at the Farmers Market in the Entertainment Quarter. Back then it was known as Fox Studios, and it's a term of reference we can't seem to shake the habit of using in our everyday conversations.We headed to Fox Studios the Entertainment Quarter straight after the Northside Produce Market. It's funny how the clientele seem

Gungho, Haymarket

Bright.And shiny.Two words which immediately spring to mind when you first set your eyes upon the dizzy spectacle that is Gungho.Cherry red moulded plastic chairs are tucked under bright white formica square tables. The backlit menu behind the service counter has helpful food photos. And all this is amplified by the floor-to-ceiling mirrored wall down one side of the narrow eatery.Proudly

Northside Produce Market

Lamb ribs on the barbieA feast for the eyes, the nose and the tastebuds at last weekend's Northside Produce Market in North Sydney...Crisp gala applesFig sample (oh it was delicious!)Organic sourdough baguettes from La TartineOrganic sourdough fruit loaves from La TartineGourmet biscuit treatsCheese cutting at Formagi OcelloMarinated fetta cheese at Formagi OcelloLive bees at a honey stallShiny

Bairro Portgues: Portugese Festival, Petersham

Last Sunday was the annual Portuguese Festival in Petersham. The air was thick with the haze of charcoal as families, couples, friends and foodies celebrated all the goodness that is Portuguese cuisine and culture.Chicken skewersEspetadaCubes of rump steak are packed onto giant sword-like skewers, coated with coarse rock salt and then cooked over charcoal in this Madeiran specialty.Goan

Good Living Growers Market

Once again it was the Good Living Growers Market on the first Saturday of the month, down by the water at Pyrmont Bay Park.It's funny how when you attend the markets regularly, you immediately notice the absence of regular stallholders, your feet slowing down and your brow furrowing as you subconsciously ponder "hang on... shouldn't this section be occupied by...?"At the same time, newcomers are

Shanghai Night, Ashfield

Steamed Shanghai-style mini pork and crab bun $8.00After a hard day's foodie shopping in Ashfield, the shoulders will droop, the legs will falter and the stomach will rumble with increasing urgency.Nourishment can be found quickly, cheaply and in delicious air-conditioned comfort at Shanghai Night, one of the most celebrated cheap eats on Liverpool Road.The decor is, well, non-existent. Vertical

Four things meme

Another day, another meme.This one's from chickpea. Here goes...Four Jobs I've Had in My Life:1. Public relations coordinator2. Youth hostel duty manager3. Radio station researcher4. Youth telephone counsellorFour Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:1. Tampopo2. The Breakfast Club3. The Joy Luck Club4. The GuruFour Places I've Lived:1. Cambridge, England2. Leytonstone, London, England3.

Foodie shopping: Ashfield, Sydney

They say that the best way to appreciate the familiar is to go and see it with a tourist.A couple of Sundays back, four food bloggers found themselves assembled on the high street of Ashfield, in Sydney's inner west. An comment by Saffron about a Chinese grocer in an Ashfield underground carpark had been met with a response of "intriguing!", a suggestion of "an excursion?" and a chorus of "oh yes

Sago pudding recipe

When I think of sago pudding, I think of that thick baked custardy dessert from yum cha. The pudding is baked so it forms a skin on top which caramelises to the colour of rich molasses. Breaking through the skin with your eager spoon reveals a dense but creamy custard with hints of coconut milk and packed tight with luminescent sago pearls.We searched high and low all over Google for this sago

What's the Story?

Another Sydney institution passes. A walk through Chinatown last week showed the old Maxim's cake shop--on the corner of Goulburn and Sussex Street--all boarded up. Already painted on the awning and with new signs hanging are the new owners, the expanding Malaysian franchise bakery, Bread Story.Admittedly I haven't been that big a customer at Maxim's lately--all too often I've been waylaid by

Tropfest 2006

Picnic goodness: Tetsuya truffle butter on bagel crispsLast Sunday saw our annual pilgramage to The Domain for the now much-advertised "largest short film festival in the world" Tropfest.The competition is open to anyone and everyone. The film must be no longer than 7 minutes, it must include the Tropfest Signature Item (announced on 1 December), and Tropfest must be its first public

The Apprentice, Ultimo

The road to becoming a chef is not an easy one. You work every public holiday, enduring the glamour of peeling nothing but potatoes all shift, only to be rewarded with minimal pay on apprentice wages. No wonder there's a high drop-out rate.I do admire anyone who works in the hospitality industry, especially those in the kitchen. It's hot, it's stressful and there's absolutely no room for

Surf's Up

The latest round-up of photos for Does My Blog Look Good in This has just been posted by Ron from LoveSicily. Check out the gallery of foodbloggers' favourite food porn here.My latest SugarSavvy piece on chocolate taste-testing is also up.And I've done some housekeeping and updated my drop-down list of food blogs--now split into "Australia" and "around the world". What I have been surprised by

What's On in Sydney

Every Fri til 30 June 2006: Chinatown Night MarketThis weekendSat 04 March: Good Living Growers Market, PyrmontSat 04 March: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSat 04 March: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 04 March: Orange Grove MarketsNext weekendSat 11 March: Kings Cross Organic MarketSat 11 March: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSat 11 March: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 11 March: Orange Grove

I've eaten how much?

I've just worked out that since I started GrabYourFork in April 2004, I've posted:142 reviews on 121 restaurants across Sydney.That means that during 20 months based in Sydney (subtract two months for gallivanting across Japan, Hong Kong and New York), I've been posting an average of:7 Sydney restaurant reviews per month.That doesn't factor in the huge backlog of posts sitting on my hard drive,

Zilver Seafood Restaurant, Haymarket

The beauty of yum cha is its reliable welcome of harried chaos. The room will be a-clatter with chopsticks and conversation, the waitstaff will be rushed off their feet re-filling teapots and dispensing chilli sauce, and the trolley ladies will harangue you incessantly with the last of the cabbage-filled spring rolls.Zilver is nothing like that.Zilver used to be Silver, as in Silver Spring, but

Paddy Maguires, Haymarket

Fillet steak with chips and salad $22.00I love pub grub.The best pub grub is usually found in nondescript watering holes with a sighing barman and a dour-faced cook sneaking a ciggie out the back. Some of my favourite meals have been in pubs, especially in England and Ireland, where stodgy comfort food is the one redeeming joy for invariably inclement weather.In Sydney, as in all cities around

Five Food Challenges

Sue tagged me for the Five Food Challenges meme a couple of weeks back. I know, I've taken a while to respond. Don't you love procrastination too?Helen's Five Food Challenges for 2006Bake breadEvery celebrity chef / foodblogger / toddler I know waxes lyrical about how satisfying it is to bake your own bread. I love baking cakes but for some reason I have this trepidation when it comes to yeast.

Rendezvous Cafe, Burwood

Eating breakfast out always poses a menu dilemma for me: do I follow my head and choose savoury, or do I go with my heart and wallow in sweet?The easy, of course, is to do both, and that's where a little covert activity in tactical menu negotiation always comes in handy!Our rendezvous took place at, funnily enough, Rendezvous, at Burwood Westfield Shoppingtown, in Sydney's inner west. It's your

What's On In Sydney

For those who keep forgetting to check the side panel =)Every Fri til 30 June 2006: Chinatown Night MarketThis weekendSat 18 Feb: Northside Produce MarketSat 18 Feb: Ashfield Gourmet MarketSat 18 Feb: Farmers Market, Entertainment QuarterSat 18 Feb: Orange Grove MarketsSun 19 Feb: Scandinavian Sunday, Maritime MuseumSun 19 Feb: South American Festival, Bondi BeachNext weekendSat 25 Feb: Kings

Oscillate Wildly, Newtown

The November 2005 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller ran a reviewer competition open to all readers--the winning entrant would join the reviewing team for the Australian Restaurant Guide 2007 (cue Homer-Simpson-like daydream coupled with hopeful hyperventilation). Alas I didn't win (obviously... otherwise I'd be writing this in giant font, not tiny) but I thought I'd share my entry anyway.

Mohr and Mohr, Surry Hills

EDIT: Mohr and Mohr has now closed.On the Mohr and Mohr website, Hans Mohr is declared "iron chef of home-style German, Scandinavian and French".There was no sign of Chairman Kaga when we made a visit, but should Mohr ever appear on a rising platform in Kitchen Stadium, it might just be a sardine or duck liver he'd be holding aloft.Cured West Australian sardines $14.50Served with apple, pickled

Chinese New Year Parade 2006, Sydney

It was the annual Chinese New Year parade on Sunday 5 February 2006.In addition to the regular dragon dancers, Chinese scouts and young soccer players, parade spectators were treated to a jaw-dropping mobile performance by visiting Chinese acrobats, drummers, dancers, stilt performers and jugglers, here to promote the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.Don't forget the Lantern Festival on

Chocolate psychology

Have you ever lain awake at night wondering if you could conduct a personality test using just a box of chocolates?My latest Sugar Savvy piece for the Well Fed Network has just been published. Find out which CCT (Chocolate Consumer Type) you are by clicking here.

Australia Day lunch

A good host is organised but not pedantic, relaxed but still attentive. Simple food that can be prepped beforehand is crucial, lending a casual carefree atmosphere that your guests will not appreciate until after they have gone home, and reflected on what an effortlessly pleasant time was had by all.Dips and nibblesAn Australia Day lunch hosted by R, A and C was a classic textbook example.

Caffe Gasparo, Burwood

Spaghetti lipari $15.90Octopus, garlic, olive oil, chilli, capers, fresh tomatoes and a touch of pesto in a napolitana sauceIt sounded so easy at first.Friday night. A friend's birthday to celebrate. Car pool to dinner, then watch Memoirs of a Geisha on its opening night in cinemas."We'll leave the restaurant up to you", my friends emailed in unison. "Whereever you choose".The pressure.I have no

Pyrmont Growers' Market

The first Good Living Growers Market for 2006 was a crowd-pleaser as always. I had thought that after eight photographic posts on my adventures here, there would be little left to capture. But of course there is always something new and exciting to tempt the eyes and intrigue the tastebuds:That’s right, these are cleaned and purged common garden snails, ready for conversion into delicious

Bread Story, Broadway, Ultimo

EDIT 05/07/07: Bread Story on Broadway has now closedFirst there was Beb Patisserie.Then there was Bourke St Bakery.And now the Broadway strip between City Road and Wattle Street has another baked goods supplier in its midst.It's a Bread Story all right.This is the first foray into the Australian market for Bread Story, a popular franchise bakery with origins in Malaysia. Conceived by Jun Low, a

Chinese New Year Eve: The Feast

If there are three particular idiosyncrasies about Asian palates it's our love of bones, skin and fat.The roast suckling pig embodies all three in glorious gormandizing hedonistic glory.I had the good fortune to be invited to dine with Veruca Salt and her family on Chinese New Year's Eve, a night which traditionally involves a reunion dinner for celebratory feasting.The Chinese New Year mandate

Get Fed

As if I don't already have compulsive bloggeritis, I've just become the latest Sugar Savvy recruit for the Well Fed Network. Launched on 3 January 2006, Well Fed is an online collaboration of food-and-drink content by bloggers from all around the world.Sugar Savvy's mandate is to focus on all things chocolate and candy.It's a match made in heaven.My weekly publishing day is Wednesday (US-time,

Grate stuff

A recent post on my homemade green mango salad generated a couple of queries about zigzag graters: what were they and where could you get them from.The one I use was brought back from Vietnam by ever-thoughtful friends of mine. I couldn't find a picture of it on Google so in the post comments I suggested a julienne peeler which is often available from kitchenwares in department stores. A julienne

Chinese New Year Eve: the build-up

Chinese New Year festivities always involve food. And lots of it. Of course they should!Our family doesn't make a big deal of Chinese New Year, but luckily for me, I have friends who do! Friends who cook! Obsessively! And who think nothing of ordering a whole suckling pig for a modest New Year gathering just because we can!As we raced to Bankstown late on Saturday afternoon for some last minute

Eat Our Words

Australian food bloggers get a bite of the glossy magazine action in the latest issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.Journalist and fellow food blogger Ed Charles from Tomato has written a long overdue article on the Australian food blogging scene, giving some much deserved exposure to our own Aussie-based burgeoning talent.The two page spread includes a lovely glossy photo of the hardworking

Green Mango Salad

Nothing says summer like a green mango salad. With its hot, sour, salty sweet explosion of flavours, this salad is the perfect antidote for those sticky, sweltering days of humidity.I made this twice in two days: the second version was a much tastier success, as I made sure to dress the mango shreds at the last possible moment, minimising any sog factor.I brought the leftovers into work the next

Happy Chinese New Year

Japanese sandwich cakesIt's Chinese New Year tomorrow, which means it's a night of celebrations tonight.Festivities in Sydney's Chinatown have already begun, with the annual Chinatown Markets lining Dixon Street and Hawker Central taking over Belmore Park.Chinese New Year dog mascot in Sydney's Belmore ParkTree festooned with red colanders--surprisingly pretty!Chinese chess players on Dixon

Too Much Information Meme: 10 Things About Me

I'm still working on the sick computer situation, although it's amazing how much free time I suddenly have on my hands though!It's a perfect opportunity to finally post my response to the latest meme going around the blogosphere. I was tagged by Rose two weeks ago, and the brief is to:Write 10 weird or random things about you that most people don't know about. Then tag 5 others for at the end of

Food for Thought

The home computer is currently suffering from indigestion (quiet shriek) so apologies for the lack of posts lately.In the interim, those of you in Sydney may be interested in an upcoming food writing course with John Newton, a Good Living regular contributor and recent gold ladle winner for Best Food Journalist in the 2005 World Food Media Awards.Writing About Food is being run through the UTS

Rose of Australia Hotel, Erskineville

A brief break from the current saturation of New York touristing--here's a Sydney restaurant post for those hankering for some Aussie grub and tucker.Complimentary kalamata olivesOur previous* visit to the Rose of Australia Hotel dining room was a warm, distant memory of good food, plated enticingly in a quiet and refined atmosphere. I headed there again with the same dining companions and a

Under the bridge

You know the drill. Click on the pic for latest pics from New York: South Street Seaport.

Buffalo stance

Click on the pic above for my first taste of bison at Murray Hill Diner, New York.

Quintessential New York

The Empire State Building, Times Square and steam rising from drains. How much more New York can you get?Click on the pic above for the latest pics.

Tom and Jerry

Click on the pic above to see more pics (and an edited post) on my first meal in New York City at Tom's Restaurant (yes, the diner from Seinfeld).

Winter wonderland

Click on the pic above to check out the New York snow-fest.

First pics up

Wanna find out what Air Tahiti aeroplane food is like?Click on the pic above.I've manufactured a new post to fit the flight photos. It's messing with my head a little but it should all work out.I'll continue to create new Alert posts when new pics go up from my New York trip.I've also updated the side panel for all you festival-happy Sydneysiders. Scroll down and check out all the Sydney event

Awww shucks

I'm back. Straight from the 0C (32F) temps of a wintry New York and into the dizzying humidity of a sweltering Sydney. Sure 30C / 86F may be mild compared to the 45C / 113F temps Sydneysiders basked in over Christmas, but trust me. I am dyyyyyying.The perfect welcome home? A freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oyster. These ones came from Port Stephens.Nothing beats a freshly opened oyster. As the shell