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