When the world stops spinning - Sydney Food Blog

vivian - vxdollface lives in Sydney, Australia. loves travelling. burgers & fries are my weakness. shoots on a canon 550d 35mm. WHEN THE WORLD STOPS SPINNING STARTED 21.09.2010 email me :) [email protected] advertise with me! nuffnang_bid = "021c017972306750ae47e8f494e6c44e";

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Dishoom, Covent Garden, London

Dishoom, Covent Garden Whether you’re a Londoner or tourist, Dishoom’s chain of restaurants is one to brag about and one of my fondest dining experiences in London. With five different locations (Edinburgh, Shoreditch, King’s Cross, Carnaby, and Covent Garden), you wouldn’t expect a long wait for walk-in dining but I would highly recommend making reservations (Thanks Shan!) ahead of time otherwise your wait be up to 45min, but it’s worth it!

Okra fries  Dishoom calamari Having been told that this restaurant was an ‘institution’ we had high expectations and we weren’t disappointed! For those who haven’t had okra before it can be a bit alarming as the innards are slimy so it’s not for all but I loved the spice battered okra fries. We also ordered a serving of their fried calamari to nibble on whilst waiting for the rest of our friends to arrive. 

Chicken berry Brittannia Mahi tikka Spicy lamb chops Dishes here are designed for sharing which is perfect for an extensive selection form the menu. Really enjoyed the aromatic chicken biryani which had dried cranberries mixed through to give it a sweet note. For the mahi tikka, they used sustainable Asian basa fillet which is quite a flavourless fish so it relies heavily on the spices but this was delicious. Mouthfuls of tender flakes tszuj’d up with the yoghurty marinade and a spritz of lime juice. Whilst lamb isn’t my favourite, these were punchy in flavour and had us politely fighting over the last chop haha!    

Rose & cardamom lassi Sherry Had a sip of the boy’s lassi which was recommended by our waiter and it was as the menu described it, a sweet and subtle perfumed love-letter. Since we had reservations, we skipped the queue but we still had to show the email confirmation before being seated. Whilst we were searching for the email, we were offered a complimentary drink from a selection of chai tea, mint tea or sherry. Yup, sherry! I believe they also bring out snacks for those in the queue every now and then. Reminded me of Japan! 

Naan This was the highlight of our meal! Prior to coming here, the naan had been talked up by so many friends who had insisted that I dine at Dishoom. Hand made and baked to order in the tandoor, the naan bread is truly one to froth over. We ordered the garlic naan which had minced garlic and coriander sprinkled through, and also the cheese naan which had lots of melty cheddar, needless to say we had to order more than one round! 

Chicken ruby Tender chicken in a rich and flavourful thick curry makhani sauce. Loved the lip smacking, butter based tomato cream sauce mixed in with the basmati rice. Another outstanding dish where we ordered thirds!

Kingfisher beer “Beer came to India with the old British Empire. At present, this mild and malty easydrink lager is India’s choicest favourite.” Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our meal, look forward to dining here again on my next trip to London!

Dishoom - http://www.dishoom.com/

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The Dolphin, Surry Hills

The Dolphin, Surry Hills Pizza, pasta, cheese and tiramisu, all my favourite foods I like to indulge in all under one roof at the newly refurbished, The Dolphin Hotel in Surry Hills. The bar closest to the beer garden used to be has now been transformed into a beautiful open kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven in full view so you can see all the action.

Polenta chips $12 Batons of polenta chips served with an airy whipped feta. Only wished the feta was stronger in flavour. 

Salumi victor - Shaved salame, prosciutto, pancetta, tomato & buffalo mozzarella $26 It was hard to decide on just one pizza, there were so many that sounded so delicious but we ended up going with the salumi victor. The pizzas here are hand stretched inspired by the traditional pizzas of Rome and Northern Italy. A nice and thin wood-fired base with just the right amount of toppings, though I wouldn’t have opposed if there was more buffalo mozzarella! 

Peas, mint & cabbage $10 A favourite of mine! A refreshing and crunchy salad of three simple ingredients. Fresh peas, shaved cabbage and finely sliced mint tossed in a lemony dressing. 

Pappardelle bolognese, buffalo ricotta & gremolata $28 As a pasta lover, I could not go past the silky, handmade sheets of pappardelle. The lusciously rich bolognese sauce draping the pappardelle strands with dollops of buffalo ricotta and gremolata giving the dish a zesty, fresh pinch.

A sweet surprise :)

Zokoko Chocolate Tiramisu $16 Layers of perfection! A delightful finish to my low-key birthday dinner with my love. 

The Dolphin - http://dolphinhotel.com.au/dining-room/

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The Pig and The Lady, Honolulu

The Pig & The Lady, Honolulu Follow the crowd and the hype, it’s definitely not exaggerated. Honestly, had I known how incredibly good the food here would be, I wouldn’t have left this restaurant to my last night in Honolulu! Located within Chinatown, The Pig & The Lady's menu is exciting and dynamic, an amalgamation of Asian and western fusion dishes with a twist.  

P&L Vietnamese Pate Chaud Even at 5:30pm, there was already a wait for a table! After a 30min wait, we received our text to let us know a spot was available. Sidled up at the bar, we started off with a pate chaud from a selection of Mama Le’s daily baked goods. Buttery, flakey Vietnamese and Haitian puff pastry encasing a ground pork mince, which is essentially a Vietnamese meat pie.   

Kombu beignet w/ parmesan and chives cream This blew my mind! Light as air fluffy savoury beignets dipped in a foamy parmesan and cream emulsion. Absolutely moorish. 

A delectable side of crispy potatoes with chives, dill and topped off with crispy shallots. Each bite was nice and fluffy on the inside, what more could one want! The serving size was generous too :)

LFC - twice fried chicken wings, money $auce, fried shallots, kaffir lime, peanut slaw Laotian fried chicken, so damn effing bomb! Crunchy, golden karaage chicken batter coated the succulent wings. Oh and that money $auce was right on the mark! I could taste lemon grass with a bit of acidity, sweet and salty tang from the fish sauce as well, finger lickin’. 

DRY AGED MAKAWELI BEEF PHO - rib eye beef, beef fat cracklings, fresh ginger, calamansi, scallions, sawtooth herb, fresh rice noodle An intensely flavoursome beef bone broth laden with a generous variety of tender beef trimmings. We added an extra serving of rice noodles to share as well. 

Maui Brewing Co, chuggin’ down some of the local’s finest

P&L PHO FRENCH DIP - the best way to enjoy our famous 12 hour roasted brisket banh mi & pho bac! The best of both worlds when you’re torn between wanting to chow down on a French baguette banh mi and a steaming bowl of pho. Just like the Old El Paso ads, ¿por qué no los dos?, why not have both :) A small bowl of French pho dip with Manila clams served with a 12 hour roast beef brisket, Thai basil chimichurri and sauteed bean sprouts banh mi. It was so thoughtful for them to split it into thirds so we’d each have one banh mi. The clams were cooked with charred green onions, wasabi-yuzu, taro stem and dipping the banh mi in the clam jus to soak up the broth was... 

just phonomenal!

P&L SOFT SERVE - choice of frozen custard, soft sorbet, or swirl with salted feuilletine crunch Even though we were absolutely stuffed, we couldn’t go past the dessert menu so we decided to share one of their infamous soft serves. We went with the flavour of the day, matcha custard and opted to go with their house-made waffle bowl. Such a pretty swirl! All in all, a memorable meal, looking to return on my next trip to Honolulu. 

The Pig & The Lady - http://thepigandthelady.com/

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Mantecato, Balmain

Mantecato, Balmain Traditional Italian fare can be found in this cosy restaurant in the backstreets of Balmain away from the bustling main strip. With a menu laden with risotto and hand-made pasta options, it wasn’t long before Suze, Sarah and myself (plus partners) made a trip to Mantecato Risotteria Italiana!

Culatello & burrata $22 We started the meal with some melt-in-your-mouth culatello and creamy burrata. It came served with a basket of gnocco fritto, a deep fried dough pillow which usually accompanies cold meats and soft Italian cheeses so you can stuff them into the little pockets and enjoy in one bite. 

Battuta di filetto di manzo ai porcini (gf) - beef eye fillet tartare dressed w/ evoo, salt & pepper, served w/ porcini mushrooms $18 A beautifully presented dish and generously portioned too. Loved the tender beef tartare mixed with some of the meaty tasting porcini mushrooms which was sprinkled with porcini powder to enhance the flavour. 

Lasagne verde al ragu - green lasagna w/ pork and beef ragu alla bolognaise $23 One can never say no to lasagna! Layers of rich bolognaise and bechamel sauce between house-made spinach pasta sheets. A comforting meal to escape the windy weather outside! 

Ravioli del plin filled w/ pumpkin $25 This was my favourite dish of the day and one of their blackboard specials! Housemade ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and pumpkin with an almond cheese fondue sauce topped with crushed amaretti biscuits. Mouthfuls of the perfect sweet and savoury balance, would gladly eat this again if I ever saw it on the menu again.

Baby pineapple, what a short life you’ve lived :’)

Bon appetit!

Tagliatelle al ragu - handmade tagliatelle pasta w/ pork and beef ragu alla bolognaise $22 Another outstanding dish! Silky strands of egg pasta cooked al dente and with just enough bolognaise sauce to coat each strand. Nothing could fault this dish, the ragu was rich in flavour and so tender. The ultimate comfort food!

Alla milanese con ossobuco - saffron risotto topped w/ braised veal ossobuco $28 Just incredible and what a hearty and moreish dish. The braised ossobuco was so flavoursome, we were all enamoured by the melt-in-your-mouth bone marrow which we happily slurped. 

Insalata Mantecato - rocket, gorgonzola cheese, pear, walnuts, and speck $18 As with everything, balance is always required so when it came down to choosing a salad seeing speck and gorgonzola, our eyes lit up and the decision was unanimous.

Risotto al tartufo $35 Known for their risottos, it sure didn’t disappoint as you could taste each individual grain whilst still retaining some bite. Creamy, cheesy sauce with the light aroma of black truffle to tickle our senses though the saffron risotto was our clear favourite of the two.   

House made tiramisu $10 We don’t ever turn down a tiramisu when it’s on offer for dessert. A sweet treat to end our carb filled lunch!  

Mantecato - http://www.mantecato.com.au/

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Superior Burger, Wakeley

Superior Burger, Wakeley Boasting the ‘Best in the West’, no doubt we had to make a trek out to the western suburbs of Sydney to Wakeley to sample a selection of Superior Burger’s finest. Designed to look like an old school milk bar/take away shop and headed by Jovan Curic (known for his delicious burgers at Pub Life Kitchen), it’s located in the mini shopping complex where parking is abundant. It’s not the most visible shopfront when driving past but you’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the IGA. 

Chicken burger - Fried chicken, cheese, McClures pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo $15 With the choice of six different burger options and with two having fried chicken, it was a no brainer. All their chickens are from La Ionica and are hormone and chemical free. There’s no messing about, the crispy battered fried chicken burger was ace. 

The whole squad right here!

Mash n’ gravy $8 I can never go past ordering creamy mashed potato in a pool of gravy, perfect for dunking fries into. Though I found the gravy a little sweeter than I would have liked it to be. 

Large fries $7 Served wrapped in butchers paper just like the good ol’ milk bar days. Tearing open the precious parcel we delightfully tucked into the well-seasoned fries. 

Superior burger - beef, cheese, tomato, lettuce, Superior sauce, pickles $15 Bolt-ons - double smoked streaky bacon $4 Savoured every bite of this perfect burger specimen with a juicy medium, grass fed beef pattie. Soft, toasted milk buns, tang of the pickles, melted American cheese along with that garlic-y housemade Superior sauce with some streaky bacon made for a delicious burger which did not disappoint. 

Cheeseburger - beef, cheese, McClures pickles, onion, tomato sauce, mustard $14

Boys chillin’ and sippin’ their creaming sodas and house made ice tea

Ice cream sandwich $7 Sadly their soft serve machine wasn’t working yet but we were lucky to snag the last two ice cream sandwiches they had on offer! Vanilla and chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched between two chewy Anzac biscuits.

Superior burger - https://www.facebook.com/superiorburger/

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Toriciya, Cammeray

Toriciya, Cammeray One of my favourite past-times in Japan is going out on late night izakaya-hopping food crawls. Whilst Sydney’s night life doesn’t quite compare but at least there’s Toricya, an izakaya located in the North Shore. 

Potato salad ポテトさらだ Baked savoy cabbage ちりめんきゃべつトリュフソース My two favourite entree/side dishes, potato salad and crisp savoy cabbage! Such simple veggies but bring so much joy, particularly the potato salad which is kind of like a mashed potato salad :) In Japan, it’s quite often you get served savoy cabbage to munch on instead of pretzels/nuts. 

Long spine sea urchin from Tasmania sashimi Another favourite sashimi of mine is the slippery, creamy sea urchin. The best and simplest ways to eat it is to have it wrapped in crispy, salted seaweed with some wasabi and soy. 

Korokke - homemade crab cream croquette Karaage chicken If you’re a fan of potatoes, you’ll like the crab croquettes as they’re like balls of mashed potato with cream and crab mixed through and then deep fried. Another popular deep fried goodness, is the karaage chicken which are like chicken nuggets and come served with a huge dollop of kewpie mayo.   

Daily aburi sushi platter Charcoal grilled wild eel skewers Aburi sushi is essentially sashimi on rice, nigiri, which has been grilled/torched so that it has a smokey, charred flavour without being completely cooked. Oh and the grilled live eel skewers were so much tastier than the pre-prepared ones in packets. These were much more plump! 

Sword fish belly skewer Tsukune and parson’s nose/chicken butt yakitori Anything that’s grilled over binchō-tan, a white charcoal that gives off that smokiness flavour tastes delicious. And there was no exceptions for the sword fish belly, chicken meatballs and although it might sound off-putting, chicken butt is really fricken good!  

Grilled kingfish head This was a special of the night, it was so meaty, tender and sweet. Such a simple grilled dish with a light seasoning of salt, soy and spritz of lemon juice. 

Okra risotto おくら雑炊 Okra is one of those funny foods, where you either enjoy it or it grosses you out. It’s kind of like eating a green been which has a bit of a bite to it but it does have a slimy texture. The risotto reminded me of congee as the okra sort of binds it all together. 

Tempura prawns Nabeyaki udon A generous serving of nabeyaki udon with a variety of veggies, fish cake, and prawn tempura. 

Toriciya - http://www.toriciya.com.au/

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The Loch Farm, Berrima

The Loch Farm, Berrima Come and gone are the days of winter and spring time is now in full bloom! If you’re looking to get out of Sydney for some fresh country air, I would recommend taking a day trip to The Loch Farm, Berrima, Southern Highlands. Go for a hike, smells the tulips at Corbett Gardens, and stop by at this charming farm/stable turned restaurant.

Menu changes seasonally, check their Facebook page for the menu. 

12 hour roast lamb shoulder rubbed with herbs served with truffle risotto $42 I tried some of this dish and it was incredible! I don’t know if it’s because we were starving and it was quite chilly as well so this was definitely comfort food. Perfectly cooked risotto, still al dente and it soaked up the rich, red wine jus. But it was the tender, slow-roasted lamb shoulder that was the star of the dish. 

Cauliflower and broccoli salad with green herb and apple cider vinaigrette $15 2014 Tertini riesling $48 bottle Even though it was just under 10 degrees outside, sipping a local Southern Highlands grown wine and enjoying the idyllic peaceful surroundings made it worthwhile. Good thing they had blankets/throws handy and outdoor heaters. A simple, warm salad of roast veggies to share.

Braised oxtail w/ eclairs tart of truffle & leek custard and crispy enoki $42 Real generous portions of flavoursome braised oxtail. Also love that they top the dishes with deep fried, crispy enoki which were strangely addictive :)

Baby cos, crisp potato and poached eggs w/ parmesan flakes $15

Angus rib eye fillet w/ roast onion mash and truffle butter $42 My dish was a killer! From the perfectly cooked medium rare rib eye fillet to the insanely good roast onion mash, need to try and recreate that! There was even wood ear mushrooms which I don’t normally see on a lot of menus but I love the rubbery texture. Usually I would switch with the boy half way but after having my first bite, I knew sharing wasn’t an option to his dismay haha.   

Available fresh produce and flowers for sale  I was lucky enough to score some truffle infused free range eggs which by the way made incredibly delicious scrambled eggs. They also sell vacuum sealed packets of pre-marinated meats and ready made meals to be heated up.

It’s the little things that make life wonderful.  Thanks for a delicious meal, friendly hospitality, and for the beautiful flowers to take home! 

The Loch Farm - https://www.facebook.com/thelochau/?fref=ts 581 Greenhills Rd Berrima NSW 2577

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William Blue Dining, The Rocks

William Blue Dining, The Rocks Located in The Rocks is an award-wining, hospitality student-run fine dining training restaurant, William Blue Dining. All staff members are students who are learning by getting real life experience in the kitchen and on the floor. I believe they don’t have walk-in tables so make sure to book ahead of time. We were quite a large group of 10 so coming on a Monday night meant we had a better chance of getting a table being early in the week. Honestly, the food and service here is professional and extremely good value with a three course meal costing $38pp, that’s hella bomb! They’re also licensed and the menu changes frequently.

Rare roasted beef skirt steak, mash, cavolo nero, cafe de paris butter $18 Had a taste of the rare roasted beef skit and it was real tender but it was the mash I couldn’t get enough of.. which naturally meant I had a few extra sneaky mouthfuls. 

Smoked spatchcock breast, confit leg, saffron fondant potato, cauliflower cream, poached quince, pepper jus $18 Ah the smoked spatchcock, perfectly de-boned minus the leg bone mm and that golden crispy skin was so good. I just have to say how impressed I am with the dishes here, they really do put a lot of effort in. We also ordered a few side salads, not pictured.   

Hazelnut marshmallow parfait, peanut butter brittle, meringue, raspberry powder $9 Dark chocolate and salted caramel tart, citrus and pomegranate salad, caramel cream $9 Seriously, look how exquisite these desserts look! Super soft melt in your mouth parfait but it was my dark chocolate salted caramel tart which had me wanting more. I’m not a big dessert person but I did not want to share my tart at all cause it was that good! Not too sweet and the dark chocolate ganache was velvety smooth plus the pastry was nice and buttery. 

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Ono Seafood, Honolulu, Hawaii

Ono Seafood, Honolulu, Hawaii Located just outside of the main tourist hub of Waikiki, Ono Seafood is surely an institute for poke and it really is ono (delicious)! But don’t get mixed up as there is a ‘Ono Hawaiian Food’ just 200m down the same street serving a wide variety of Hawaiian foods. This joint was somewhat hidden as it’s tucked away in a car park lot and the signage isn’t terribly visible if a car is parked right outside! We were lucky enough to have made it there in time for an early dinner as doors shut promptly at 6pm. Once inside, it’s a fairly no-frills kind of joint. Select your rice - white or brown, pick your poke - ahi or tako, and pick your flavour! There are two sizes to choose from either the regular (generous 1/3 lb. poke portion) or super (extra generous 1/2 lb. poke portion) bowl. There’s a combo bowl available as well if you want two styles on your rice. I love chirashi don and poke bowls are like a fusion version of chirashi. 

#7 Spicy ahi - creamy mayo sauce, tobiko, ginger, green & white onion One of their most popular flavour combinations and even thinking back to it now is making me salivate! Nice big cubes of ahi tuna sashimi coated in a creamy sriracha mayo and a hint of sesame oil. Damn this was incredibly good, especially loved the tiny, salty pops of tobiko. 

#1 Shoyu ahi - savory secret shoyu, green & white onion, limu, kukui, chilli pepper, sesame oil Another popular item as indicated on their menu. This one was a shoyu base of soy, sesame oil and chilli pepper which packed some heat. The crunch of the marinated limu seaweed sort of reminded me of kimchi.

Lomi ahi $3 #6 Miso tako - Miso, ginger, green & white onion They also have extra items in the fridge as well like take home poke packs, seaweed salad, pickles, and lomi ahi. The lomi ahi was more like tuna tartare rather than the typical tomato and salon salad but it was still delicious and for that price, it was such a steal! The miso tossed octopus slices had a nice bite to it though it was a little too saucy for my liking. 

All in all, I wish we could’ve gone back one more time.. but if you’re looking for a similar poke, Coco Cove in Waikiki has an extensive selection and the avocado one is also pretty damn good!     

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Cheese & Truffle Degustation - Gazebo, Potts Point

Gazebo, Potts Point Cheese & truffle degustation, 5 courses $75 & with matching wines $95, available every Wednesday until 17th August. 1st course - Brie Mon peir, layered with truffle, truffled honey, seeded toast When winter hits, it really is the time for indulgence being truffle season. And what better way to enjoy this bountiful delight than with copious amounts of cheese and wine. Last week Suze, Sarah, Eric and I headed to Gazebo, Potts Point, for the cheese & truffle degustation with matching wines. We kicked off our dinner with a thinly toasted Brasserie Bread seeded baguette, two wedges of brie sandwiching a layer of truffle from WA and a drizzle of truffle honey. I devoured this in two bites and it kept me wanting more!    

2nd course - Burrata, beets, heirloom tomatoes, asparagus, basil, balsamic, grated truffle A huge ball of burrata all to myself! Haha don’t think I’ve ever had a ball of burrata to myself. Normally I would be sharing this so this was pretty awesome. Paired well with the roasted beetroot and the buttery cream spillage picked up the delicate truffle scent. 

mm.. that oozy goodness

3rd course - Mushroom tortellini, wild fungi, fresh shaved truffle white wine sauce , truffle pecorino Three mushroom filled tortellini which were wrapped like floral buds had the most fragrant mushroom aroma. I love mushrooms and pasta so this was easily my favourite dish of the night!

4th course - Eye fillet crusted in truffle salt, roasted eschalots, cauliflower & cheese, red wine jus, truffle For our main, we had the eye fillet which was cooked medium rare and served with a pat of butter which melted down the grill marks into the red wine jus. The cheesy cauliflower bake was glorious and had me wishing there was more.   

5th course - Warm apple galette, frangipane, truffle ice cream Personally, I love finishing with a warm dessert in winter and bonus brownie points as it was served on a warmed plate. Although my ice cream was not a fan of the warmth! Melted way too quickly haha. Really enjoyed the galette and the creamy ice cream but I couldn’t really make out the truffle in the ice cream, could’ve been vanilla bean ice cream and I would’ve still been happy!

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Cavalier Specialty Coffee, St Leonards

Cavalier Specialty Coffee, St Leonards With only a few tables in this narrow cafe, it’s no wonder our wait for brunch ended up being lunch by the time we were seated! Plus it might have had something to do with it being truffle season at the moment.. Luckily our coffees kept our stomachs at bay whilst we waited.    

Beef cheek special $19 The perfect winter dish that will warm the cockles of your heart. Tender 15 hour slow braised beef cheek, celeriac puree and toasted hazelnuts. Served with a slice of sourdough to mop up the aromatic sauce. Not to mention the perfect poached egg to complete this brunch!

Piccolo $4 Their coffees are made with creamy jersey milk!

3 Cheese Mushroom Macaroni - melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese, macaroni, mushroom, crumbs and snowie 50 month cacio nerone $16 added truffle $10 Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?! Especially when it’s under a mountain of moreish 50 month cacio nerone parmesan cheese and a surprise of two poached eggs. And since it’s truffle season, I couldn’t resist having a few shavings to make it more indulgent. 

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Pazar Food Collective, Canterbury

Pazar Food Collective, Canterbury Hummus $15  There are so many options for various cuisines when dining in the inner west. Located along a busy road, Canterbury road, Pazar Food Collective, plates up a mix of Turkish and Mexican dishes all designed to share. We started off with a basket of warm pide accompanying the hummus so we could smear on the creamy goodness. Absolutely loved the nuttiness of the roasted chickpeas sitting atop the hummus as well, they remind me of the wasabi peas from Asian grocers. 

Aguachile ceviche (Whilst it’s no longer on the menu the scallop ceviche was incredibly fresh with a zing of the lime juice balancing the sweet mango pieces.) Braised eggplant -  roasted red pepper sauce, garlic yoghurt & parsley $14 A rich tomato and red pepper based sauce with tender braised eggplant soaking up the sauce. Luckily we had enough pide which came with the hummus so we could mop up the robust sauce. 

Smoked lamb shoulder - citrus salad, orange blossom and bulghur lamb pilav $34 Wood smoked hunks of meat are my favourite! Beautiful blushing pink, tender shreds of smoked lamb shoulder which had us fighting over the last remnants of the dish haha. 

Wood oven pide w/ sesame & nigella - Turkish sausage flatbread Pastirma pide - Turkish shaved air cured beef, haloumi, capsicum, tomato, onion and mozzarella Although we only had four people, we were so keen for pide.. soooo we ordered two not thinking they would be very big! One of them was a traditional Samsun pide, an encased pide filled with Turkish sausage similar to chorizo, but I found the spices a bit strong for me. The more modern version was the open, pizza-like pide, where the edges of the dough was folded in to make a boat shape! This was so bomb! Double cheese goodness with a squeeze of lemon juice, heaven.

Green bean and herb salad

Turkish tea w/ Turkish delight $3.5 Churro booza ice cream sandwich - fig & walnut tahini, pomegranate molasses  $12 Warm Turkish tea with the option of sweetening it with the sugar cube (does sugar cubes remind anyone of horses?!) or sipping in between the savouring bites of the Turkish delight. Given the meal was quite filling, we decided to share an ice cream sandwich which was deliciously indulgent. Loved the fluffly pashmak a Persian style fairy floss and the crispy churro bun.

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Bar Brose, Darlinghurst

Back from being on hiatus for a while holidaying in the warm and sunny shores of Hawaii :)

Bar Brosé, Darlinghurst A culinary delight. Simple and unabashed dishes that needs no justification. Run by the team behind ACME and Head Chef Analiese Gregory, Bar Brosé is sure to be a crowd-pleaser - not to mention their killer beats. During our first visit for a lazy Sunday afternoon nibble, we found out to our dismay that the pasta dishes weren’t on their bar/snack menu as the full menu is only available from 6pm. However that didn’t deter us from coming back again for their pastas especially since their snacks were so damn good! 

Warm mushroom salad, tamari vinaigrette $10 An earthy, moreish medley of mushrooms including enoki and wood ear mushrooms, this reminded me of a homey Cantonese dish mum makes. For those who haven’t had wood ear mushroom before, that’s the black slimey looking ruffle. Despite it looking soft and malleable, it actually has a crunch to the bite. 

Weekly terrine, pickles, bread $16 Pigs head terrine served with some of the best pickles I’ve ever had! An interesting mix of rhubarb, celery, mushroom, onion and radish pickles. 

Iceberg salad $10 A fresh, head of crisp iceberg drizzled with a creamy salad dressing which had a hint of yuzu, and encrusted in golden crumbs. 

16 month comte, onions and apples cooked in whey $18 Cheese is my life! As soon as I took my first bite of the mature aged comte, I was hooked, savouring each and every bite after. Loved the rich nutty flavour which paired well with the sweet stewed onion and apple.

Fig & thyme soda $6

Late night sandwich $14 Haha we had a bit of a debate over which way a sandwich should be cut, are you a fan of triangles or rectangles? A delicious buttery toastie smeared with njuda, slices of pineapple & mustard glazed Christmas ham (I love Christmas ham), and more of the melty comte cheese goodness. Definitely a must order!

Comte gourgere $6ea Blooming onion $12 I love anything that’s loaded with butter and cheese. Is there any greater joy than tucking into a warm cloud of buttery and cheesy pastry?! The blooming onion was a tad smaller than I had expected.. Tearing off each onion petal/fry, the batter was crisp and dunked into the habanero sauce, though a little goes a long way, as it had a pretty strong kick to it!

Spaghetti carbonara (no cream allowed) $20 That egg yolky creamy goodness, despite not having any cream in the sauce! Whilst I am a fan of cream in my carbonara, I’m also not opposed to having a cream-free carbonara. 

Potato gnocchi, lap cheong, chilli, kombu butter $20 An interesting sweet and savoury sauce but it’s the pillowy soft gnocchi which I’m drawn towards. 

Poulet au Vin de Marrickville $30 Similar to the mushroom salad, this also reminded me of a Cantonese home-style steamed mushroom and chicken dish mum makes but made with French technique. That buttery, chicken infused sauce packed so much flavour and the chicken was so succulent. 

Buffalo yogurt sorbet, maraschino cherries, meringue $12 My favourite of the three desserts! Incredibly smooth buffalo yogurt sorbet on top of a marshmallowy soft, torched meringue which was just amazing. If we weren’t already so full, I could probably have this all to myself, that sorbet was so bomb.

Crisp potato, brown butter mousse, salted caramel $12 Wild fennel ice cream, fernet chocolate, walnut $12

[vxdollface]

Sisterfields, Seminyak, Bali

Sisterfields - Seminyak, Bali Late last year, the boy and I (for more pics search on instagram: #vivandjaseinbali) went to Bali for the first time to celebrate our dear friend, Handi’s birthday! Little did I know how different the lifestyle would be when comparing the laid-back, lush jungle vibe in Ubud compared to the somewhat concrete, urban chaos of Seminyak and the surrounds. Traffic is horrendous but thankfully our driver, Putu, was pretty boss and got us everywhere we needed to be, would recommend him :) More Bali posts to come.. 

Paying homage to Bondi’s finest, Sisterfields is located in the busy cafe/restaurant hub in Seminyak, Bali. Everything about this cafe exudes the Bondi lifestyle from the fresh, organic power juices to the interior decor. And huge bonus that the coffee is on point. Not that I’m a coffee connoisseur but it’s not often that I find a place outside of Australia which serves up decent coffee, haha coffee snob alert! At the front of the counter there was a huge selection of pastries and treats on display, though not to worry, they had a separate cabinet with all the goodies. Our dishes were an eclectic East meets West fusion which I would gladly eat again. It reminded me of Bills and given the clientele, for a moment I actually forgot I was in Bali! 

Piccolo 24,000 IDR (approx. $2.40 AUD)

Did you know that piccolo is an Australian drink/coffee?? I made the mistake of ordering one at Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan, and spent a good few minutes trying to explain how to make one.. they did a real good job too! 

Korean tuna tartare - Pickled carrot, kimchi, gochujang mayo, sesame emulsion, seaweed cracker 85,000 IDR House-pickled kimchi with a slight tang to cut through the fatty cubes of tuna tartare. Definitely one I’ll be looking to recreate at home, loved this combination especially with the sesame emulsion. 

Polenta fries w/ truffle aioli and parmesan 50,000 IDR May have over-ordered for the both of us but I couldn’t drag my eyes away after seeing this on the menu. Did not disappoint and look how generous they were with all them golden batons smothered in shaved parmesan. 

Sweet corn fritters - Poached eggs, creole chutney, chorizo, coriander cream 70,000 IDR Having read some reviews prior, this was the must-order breakfast dish and boy was it tasty. I love baby corn :) The sweet corn kernels were abundant in the lightly battered fritter and paired so well with the pan-fried cubes of crispy chorizo. This dish was a lot more filling than I had originally anticipated. 

Ginger Ninja - Carrot, ginger, green apple, celery, lemon 44,000 IDR Energize - Raspberry, mango, coconut nectar, coconut water 47,000 IDR Fresh and healthy juices minus the crazy Sydney prices! Do you guys do that too? Whenever I’m overseas, I always compare prices at the back of my mind and knowing that these dishes were half the price I would be paying back home, felt like I was getting such a bomb ass deal. 

Smashed avocado w/ feta, lime salt 35,000 IDR My jaw dropped when I was how generous this serving size was!! That’s at least one full avocado smashed there and it was creamy and glorious. 

[vxdollface]

Flower Child Cafe, Chatswood

Flower Child Cafe, Chatswood When I first heard about the opening of Flower Child Cafe, I was intrigued by the garden cafe concept inspired by The Grounds. A beautiful atrium decked out with greenery inside Chatswood Westfield which made me feel like I was no longer in the shopping centre!  

Iced latte $5 Salted caramel & date smoothie $7

Prosciutto & asparagus soldiers - poached egg, buffalo mozzarella, tomato powder and burnt butter hollandaise $17 I think they’re definitely onto something here with their burnt butter hollandaise! Loved all the different elements of this dish from the perfectly poached eggs to the creamy torn buffalo mozzarella. 

Flower child tabbouleh - haloumi, squash, zucchini, quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, mint & Bulgarian feta $15 A substantial and filling salad with ribbons of zucchini and squash ‘noodles’. Tried some of my sister’s salad though I was more interested in the haloumi haha.   

Aussie beef burger - grilled grass-fed beef, caramelised onions, beetroot, pineapple, iceberg, tomato, cheddar cheese & mayo on a sesame milk bun $18 When I posted this on instagram, I had a lot of polarizing responses. What are your thoughts on the Aussie burger, pineapple and beetroot, yay or nay? Personally, I quite like the sweetness it adds and it’s even better if the pineapple is grilled. The burger here isn’t bad but I do prefer my patties to be slightly pink in the center. Also, shoe string fries are the best :) 

Flower child fruit salad - seasonal fresh fruits w/ compressed pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, orange, lychee, peaches, pistachio, freeze-dried raspberries & yoghurt sorbet $14 The healthiest dessert you could ever have for breakfast and not feel guilty at all! A beautiful mound of assorted fresh fruits of whatever is currently in season and a scoop of yoghurt sorbet. Although I was a bit bummed that there weren’t any lychees in the fruit salad :(

Piccolo $3.80

[vxdollface]

Master Dining, Surry Hills

Master Dining, Surry Hills With the rise of so many new cafes and restaurants in Sydney, it’s hard to keep up with them all! Having shared a wonderful meal here late last year, Master Dining has been on my to-return-to list, especially since I had missed out on their signature burnt cabbage. Garnering on a heavy Chinese influence, the dishes here are familiar but nothing like you’ve had before. 

Scallop silk, XO sauce $4pp The silky scallop cheong fun (rice noodles) are reminiscent of the seafood cheong fun you get at yum cha with a kick of spice from the house-made XO sauce.

Ox tongue skewer, imperial spice, lemon thyme $6pp Seriously so bomb! Ox tongue is such an underrated ingredient and I’m so glad to see it popping on more menus these days. So incredibly tender!

Strange flavour pork neck $16 Slightly spicy, peanutty sesame flavour but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was though it was addictive and perfect to devour those succulent slices of pork neck over a steaming bowl of rice - the food of my people. 

Roasted squid, snow pea sprouts $20 Another stellar dish! Noodles made from thinly sliced squid, cooked perfectly silky and al dente. The roasted squid seafood broth and creamy emulsion was just bursting with umami flavours and the freshness of the snow pea sprouts balanced the creaminess of the emulsion.

Salt and pepper veal sweetbreads $18 Complimentary biodynamic wine (forget which one it was) for the table, cheers guys! The sweetbreads were like chicken nuggets, and you can’t go wrong with that! Extra hot sauce was served with this already lip numbing dish which neither of us grabbed for haha.

Peking style pork jowl, pancakes, condiments $45 Actually really hard to decide on my favourite dish here but I think the pork jowl pancakes might take the crown! The pancakes were like buttery roti and oh man that pork jowl had everyone wanting to order another serving. 

Congee, pear, coriander $10 An interesting dessert. I was intrigued when I read the menu and wondered how they would be making congee into a dessert. This was more of a rice pudding. The sweet fragrance of the pear was subtle and the coriander oil made this more of a palate cleanser. 

A roasted potato $10 Because potatoes are awesome. Fried ice cream. Deep fried potato skin batter with potato ice cream in the center. Had doubts but this was quite enjoyable!

[vxdollface]

Culture Bean Cafe, Kogarah

Culture Bean Cafe, Kogarah A local gem in the suburbs of Southern Sydney where there seems to be an undervalued lack of cafe culture yet to be discovered. It’s a small corner cafe with plenty of street parking and it’s located directly across from the St George Hospital.

Culture Bean breakfast I’m always on the hunt for a hearty big breakfast and this one does not disappoint. What ticks the boxes for me is that it came with avocado, haloumi, sauteed mushrooms and bacon that I didn’t have to add on because it already came with the dish! Hooray! 

Acai bowl $15 A sure way to channel those summer vibes and maintain that bikini bod. Healthy and satisfying with all the anti-oxidant rich goodness in a breakfast bowl which could have easily passed off as a dessert! 

Piccolo & chocolate milkshake  Trust the boy to order a milkshake for breakfast. Having it served chilled in the stainless steel milkshake cups brought back memories of the after-school milkshakes mum would whip up. Chocolately, frothy and quite generous in size!