I'm back like original Vegemite on toast

It has been a while, hasn't it friends? In fact, this hiatus was almost as long as one my toilet breaks at work. The last 3 months have been crazy but I've survived the semester, we've well and truly settled into our new place, I've triumphed over our precarious conventional oven and I have time to blog again! Life is good.

Most of you will know that Dan and I have moved out. I could not be happier with the location and 3 months later we're still discovering cool little places to grab a bite. Here are some of our favourite places to have a casual meal (for those busy nights when you want to be in and out like you mean business).

Ryo's Noodles, Crows Nest

A friend of mine hailed the noodles at this place "the best ramen in Sydney". I still think the best ramen in Sydney is from Ichiban Boshi opposite Kinokuniya in the city, but Ryo's comes really close. The servings are generous, service is fast and the gyoza is killer. Be wary of the Friday night queue that starts around 6pm and opt for no makeup as it gets pretty stuffy with no air con and hot soup.

The Counter, Crows Nest

You know those children's books that have alternate endings and you choose your own adventure? This American franchise lets you choose your own burger adventure. You get to customise every part of your burger on a neat clipboard and a short wait later you get to eat your delicious creation. The burgers are huge so wear your eating pants if you're shy about unbuckling. You have to try the apple pie shake (with real chunks of apple pie) and cheesy fries.

Guzman y Gomez, Crows Nest

I flipped out when I found I lived 2 blocks away from a GYG. Whoever thought up the concept of Mexican fast food and tequila daquiris in the one place must have been a demigod. The only disappointing thing is you can't takeaway alcoholic drinks. I'm still dreaming of the perfect world when we can walk down the street with a drink in one hand and a burrito, taco, quesadilla or nachos in the other.

Thai Emerald, Crows Nest

We get so many Thai takeaway menus in the mail and being the junk mail fiend he is, Dan brings them up to the apartment and hoards them in case we need to order Thai from 30 different places. I'm so glad I let him though because during exams, we did need those menus, and yes, I had prawn pad thai every night for 2 weeks. Thai Emerald did the best prawn pad thai in terms of taste and price. For $11.90, it's by far the cheapest pad thai in Crows Nest, the taste is almost perfect and the prawns are impressively succulent.

I also wanted to share with you guys some pictures of our new place just because it's so darn cute. I like to think of it as 1950s Californian housewife.


Hopefully I'll have a chance to pop down to Harris Farm next week and work on some recipes I've been brainstorming. Very excited!

Lunch Special @ Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Rd, Randwick
French and English restaurant
Book online or call 02 9399 9660
$35 pp for a set menu each Friday


My first impression of Restaurant Balzac (awarded 2 Chef's Hats since 2008) is that it's about the food. The restaurant is tucked away modestly on the busy Belmore Rd in Randwick. The decor is simple, French countryside, and during the day it's bathed in natural sunlight. The service is professional but not snooty. It is perfect for a quiet meal, maybe with a few friends, but there is nothing quiet or understated about the food.

This menu is from a few weeks ago. I thought it was an elegant combination that was perfect for the middle of Winter. The flavours were hearty and complex yet balanced and fresh. Everything was cooked to perfection, the textures were distinct and I cannot rave enough about how good it all tasted.

On top of that, the service was flawless. I had no complaints about this experience. For $35, this is a great way to try what Restaurant Balzac has to offer.

Baked tomato soup with feta arancini

Slow roasted leg of lamb with bean and lentil ragout

Poach quince and almond tart with Chantilly cream

Kam Fook, Chatswood

Level 6, Westfield, 28 Victor St
Yum cha
Book online or grab a number on the day

Many of my Asian friends will know that I was very deprived of Chinese delicacies growing up. I have few memories of going to yum cha and only know the food by their taste. It was probably for the best because now, as an adult with a bit of disposable income, I can fully appreciate the experience and go as crazy as my stomach will allow.

Dan and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon at Kam Fook. With my broken Chinese and vague memories of what things were called, we ate our little hearts out. I won't bore you with descriptions, I'm sure you're all familiar with yum cha (what with all food bloggers being Asian and all). As expected, everything was delicious (though not all chopstick-friendly) and doggy-bag-worthy.

Har gao

Pork dumplings

BBQ pork buns

Pork spring rolls

Mixed seafood dumplings

Chicken feet

Dao fu fa

I may not have done this much as a child but I'm thinking I will be a yum cha frequenter from now on because this was really good value! For the both of us, we spent around $50 and doggy-bagged a few things for dinner. In the words of George Costanza, this is like discovering plutonium by accident!

Glass Brasserie, Sydney CBD

488 George St, level 2 of the Hilton
Buffet breakfast
Book online or book as part of a Hilton Mini Break

Most deals don't rope me in. Two for the price of one? I could do without the calories. A 5 year extended warranty for only a little bit extra? I'm sorry - you want more money on top of the purchase price that should ensure that the item works? Likewise, the words "complimentary buffet breakfast" don't wow me. But breakfast at Glass Brasserie is the exception to the rule that buffets mean a ridiculously disproportionate quality to quantity ratio.

Our table looked out onto the QVB; round one (continental breakfast, fruit cocktails, prunes in tea, carrot shot, fruit smoothie)

From the continental section, you've got the usual choices: scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, hashbrowns, bacon, mushrooms, quiche and sausages. Amazingly, everything tastes great! There's also really cute fruit juices (including the most adorable beetroot and orange sunset), all the condiments you could ask for (I love tomatoes with mustard seeds) and fruit yoghurts.

Round two: fresh fruit, rhubarb compote, more fruit cocktails, sparkling water, quiche

On the same table are sliced deli meats, cheeses, olives and an impressive assortment of fresh fruits. Again, everything tastes great and just when you realise you're almost full, there's still a whole table of pastries to get to!

The highlights are the filled donuts (we took some for the road, of course) and the honeycomb for fresh honey (I wish I could have packed this in my bag like I did with the Crabtree & Evelyn soaps in our room).

A few things are telling that this is by far the best buffet breakfast I've ever tried (and I've been around the block with buffets). For starters, Dan and I were stuffed and we hadn't even tried everything yet. There's nothing worse than having to do rounds of the same dish in order to get full. Also, service was great and the experience is worth the forty-something dollars they charge for non-guests. If not for the food, the wow-factor, ceiling-to-floor windows and plush leather chairs make breakfast on a Sunday a fun-day...time. (Breakfast is not restricted to Sunday, I just wanted to pun.)

I realise this is my first post in a month and the crappy phone photos don't exactly make up for it. I'm still a bit traumatised by the horrendous 3-hour law exams I've had to sit so it's taking me a while to get back into the swing of real life. Bear with me, please?

Longrain Restaurant & Bar, Surry Hills

85 Commonwealth St
Call 02 9280 2888 for lunch bookings only

Kids, remember that time when I went to this event called Taste of Sydney and I really wanted to try the yellow curry from the Longrain but was too full? Well, back in 2010 when your father and I and Uncle Tom were poor students, we decided to splurge on an expensive Thai meal in the trendy warehouse part of town. The maître d’ had told me on the phone that no bookings were taken for dinner, so we turned up a bit before dinnertime and had a drink in the bar.

Left to right: Pear and Cinnamon Sour ($16), Bloody Longrain ($16)

While the cocktails were delicious, there were a few let-downs from here on in. For a restaurant with a Chef's Hat, there was no mystique, no great attention to detail and most importantly, no pampering of the patrons. The staff were friendly enough but the way the restaurant was organised did nothing but make us feel unimportant. We had to get there early and line up (I hadn't done this since Ticketek wasn't online), we were seated on a long row of communal tables and we were served by a different waiter each time. I understand that this could be valued as unpretentious dining but it came at the expense of good service. At this point, we were willing to shrug this off because we were here for the food.

Clockwise: freshly shucked oysters with red chili, lime juice and deep fried eschalots ($4 each); red curry of organic grass-fed beef with green peppercorns and Thai basil ($41); eggnet with pork, prawn, peanuts, bean sprouts and sweet vinegar ($28.50); caramelised pork hock with five spice and chili vinegar ($29.50)

For the most part, I wasn't impressed with the food. The oysters were amazing, but the flavours in the eggnet salad were confused. The caramelised pork hock was meant to have a crispy outside but for me it was like eating extremely overdone pork. The red curry sauce was nice, but the way the beef was cooked did not do grass-fed beef justice.

Salad of crisp organic duck breast, sweet fish sauce, green mango and holy basil ($38?)

This was my favourite dish of the night. Unfortunately, this isn't what we ordered. I remember reading from the menu "salad of braised duck" and that's what I ordered. Braised duck isn't on the online menu, but a salad of crisp organic duck breast is, so I guess that's what we had because the duck wasn't braised. Only, we paid $44, not the $38 it says on the online menu?

It's a shame that Longrain didn't live up to my expectations, because I really wanted to love the place, but I think exceptionality and consistency are nothing short of requisites for restaurants of this price level. If this were an architecture and design blog, I would have plenty to rave about, so it wasn't a wasted evening at all. However, I can't help but think I'd find better at a Thai restaurant in the West for a fraction of the price.

So kids, I'm telling you this story because my very well-fed wallet and I can laugh about this now, and even though I didn't really notice back then, this was the beginning of my very own Chef's Hat adventure.

Spice Temple, Sydney CBD

10 Bligh St, next to Rockpool Grill & Bar
Modern Chinese restaurant
Reservations taken online and on 02 8078 1888 3 weeks in advance

A 2009 addition to the Neil Perry empire, Spice Temple gives a modern twist on old world China and its cuisine. The whole experience carries an air of mystique. The entrance is neatly tucked away like a secret nightclub - only if you look closely do you realise that the electronic billboard is a hidden door that opens up to reveal a dimly lit stairwell. The spiral stairway is shabby chic, like an old warehouse, with odds and ends placed haphazardly on landings.

Yellow Gold Oolong, $5

At the bottom we are led to our table, walking past evocative portraits of Chinese women and into the main dining area enclosed in wooden vertical venetian blinds. Each table has a low-hanging pendant lamp concocting the feel of candlelight and secrecy. The decor exudes Chinese glamour circa 1960 (I feel as though I could be Maggie Cheung in In the Mood for Love with red lipstick and a cheongsam) and New-York-esque trendiness.

Hunan meringue: citrus vodka, limoncello, grand marnier, mango mousse and vanilla lemon foam, $17. Consume quickly before the meringue settles.

Steering away from typical "Cantonese fare", the menu is a hit for me. I am reminded of my grandparents' cooking and eating at family friends' homes but there is a pronounced difference: the flavours are sharper, more distinct, and the ingredients are incredibly fresh. We decide to go the banquet menu ($69 per person) between the three of us and see how the night unfolds.

First up was cabbage and radish pickle cucumber with smashed garlic (unfortunately, the photos are too blurry to post) - clean, crisp flavours.

Tofu and preserved egg with soy chili dressing

This was beautiful. I love, love, love slippery tofu with chili. The preserved egg was surprisingly light and had a jelly texture.

Steamed eggplant with three flavours: garlic, coriander and sweet pork

The eggplant was actually served with the garlic, coriander and sweet pork on top, separated, and the waiter folded it all together for us at the table. This really was a nice touch - we got to see what was in the dish and appreciate that each dish was served fresh.

Fried squid with whole five spice and dark chili paste

Steamed Blue Eye fillet with salted chili black bean

Hot, sweet, sour and numbing pork: chili, sugar, black vinegar and Sichuan peppercorn

We were wondering why it was called 'numbing pork' and we soon found out why - it numbs your tongue! However, this dish was so much more than just spicy pork. It had an initial crunch like caramel popcorn (it was even as sweet as caramel popcorn), it melted on the tongue and the flavour of the pork came through and finally, the spicyness gradually set in.

Stir fried David Blackmore's wagyu brisket with baby eggplant and chili

Stir fried amaranth with garlic

Watermelon granita with ginger syrup

This was so lovely. The granita tasted like really fresh and sweet watermelon, then at the bottom were fresh pieces of watermelon in a sweet ginger syrup.

The portions may look small but don't be deceived like we were! The dishes were aplenty and accumulated to about two hours of non-stop eating. For $69, this was really great value. Also the service was amazing. The waitstaff were very attentive and helpful with the dishes. After dining like this, it's hard to walk back up the stairs and rejoin the real world.

Duckfest 2010 @ MUMU Grill

70-76 Alexander St, Crows Nest
7 courses of duck prepared by Craig Macindoe (MUMU Grill) and Ben Cooper (St Ali)
$95 pp including wines

It's hard to pare down my favourite foods to a top 5, or even top 10. But if I were served duck, cooked any which way, for my last meal, I would die a happy woman.

When it came to the day of Duckfest, I made it a point to not eat until I got to the much loved MUMU Grill so that I was armed with a clean palate and a spacious belly.

The night starts off with a glass of 2007 Polin & Polin Verdehlo, duck liver pate and a quick chat with Craig. The food is mostly prepared, just awaiting some final touches. All is calm here, not a hint of stress or doubt in sight. He tells me that there is such a long waiting list that a second Duckfest has sold out in Melbourne. By this point I'm gushing like an excited schoolgirl because I know that dinner will not disappoint.

Duck consommé

The rich flavour of the duck stock is cut through with the freshness of the spring onion. Imagine the deliciousness of duck juices trickling down your fingers when eating roasted duck. Now imagine a whole cup of it. Yum!

Duck breast with deconstructed XO

Served with a 2008 Little Yerring Pinot Noir. Crispy deep-fried duck breast and scallop are coupled with a hot and sour XO sauce.

Duck sang choi bao - flash-fried duck leg with kim chi and oyster in lettuce leaf

Served with a 2008 Bass Strait Pinot Noir. The duck is so tender that it reminds me of really smooth gow gee filling. It goes well with the pickled ginger and mushroom in the kim chi and oyster.

Twice cooked duck with bok choy and poached pear

Served with a 2003 Parker Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The meat just falls off the bone as I plate myself up a small portion. The fattyness of the duck is complemented nicely by the sweet acidity of the pear.

"Turducken" - turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a guinea fowl

Served with a 2003 Ada River Cabernet Sauvignon. I can't tell you how excited I was for this, and it definitely lives up to my expectations. An amalgamation of turkey, duck, chicken and game bird flavours, each layer juicier and more tender than the last.

Duck egg caramel with pineapple and papaya

Served with a Pink Muscato by Innocent Bystander. This is by far my favourite. You can taste the duck fat in the sticky caramel on top. Underneath is a custard that tastes of sweetened duck egg yolk. It is a dessert of complex flavours and the fruit and fresh mint tie it all together.

By the end, Dan and I were just in awe of how amazing the food was and how gracefully the night unfolded. I love it when a menu is creative and it's executed beautifully, especially with a food that is notoriously difficult to cook. Kudos to Craig and Ben for an unforgettable night!

Hopefully this is the first of many Duckfests to come. Craig tells me there's a Porkfest just round the corner, so keep your eyes peeled.