Trick of Fate

Rubaiyat

2012-03-11T01:21:00.001+13:00

And when thyself with shining foot shall pass

Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the grass

And in your joyous Errand reach the Spot

Where I made One – turn down an empty Glass!

Tamam Shud

There was snow

2012-03-10T00:53:00.000+13:00

Everything is going on a downward spiral, everything that could and couldn't possibly go wrong went wrong. Haha I kinda wana bury my head in sand and hope it'll all just go away. Anyway, Good night world.

My first baby shower + 2012 Mardi Gras

2012-03-05T01:11:00.001+13:00

I know, I can't stay away from this place, I can't I can't I just can't, I think my sanity feeds off this place.
I'm feeling rather shitty and a little "blergh" right now, I'm not looking forward. I listened to Justin Bieber, I'm ashamed, that's classified insane right there. So I'm gonna post a blog and indulge in self importance for a second. Ah, blog you're my true friend.

I spend 2 hours trekking through the west of Sydney (namely Liverpool) after work in order to attend my first baby shower! My second time down that neck of the woods. Things I do man...

It was quite fun, even though we missed out on the first half I was fortunate enough to participate in the blindfold-yourself-and-feed-your-partner-baby-food-contest. I'm a pro and spilling baby food all over myself while trying to shove an empty spoon down my partner's throat.
I enjoyed the baby shower, it kinda made me want a minion of my own... haha, I kid.

The cake!

Right after the baby shower, I spent another hour + 45mins transporting into the city. My intent was to go have a coffee and talk about statistics...but ended up at the Mardi Gras Parade, smooth transaction!
Pity we didn't have the best view and was soaked after standing in the rain for two hours, only to come home with bits of glitter and confetti stuck in my hair. Not to disregard the cute half naked boys shaking their booty to lady gaga and the fishnet dude being showered with much deserved attention and hi-fives from his fellow heterosexual peers. This was my second time at the Mardi Gras, I possess a fond memory of my first encounter. I was 8 and my father took me-- guess he wanted me to be in touch with my inner little boy. Experimental parenting never fails, I came out perfectly normal.

Above is my poor attempt to capture some of the parade (well, mainly the back of people's heads and umbrellas) on my phone.

Tell me all the things you want to do

2012-02-25T23:17:00.010+13:00

Alright guys, lets wrap this summer up.

Washed my mind, put everything behind and started on another clean page.
Lost a few who I never thought I'd let go, bite my lips down hard enough and that threshold is closed. On the bright side, met some great people as well as idiots I want to beat up with a stick. Re-gained my social life, only to diverge to the short course of losing it. Discovered a sense of tranquility and the consternation of running in circles.
Fear the haze of over-thinking rested upon each countenance. My rationality and night dials are the best place for disambiguation, perhaps a slim brush with reality.

Had some great time, bad time, times I don't remember and woke up with cuts and bruises, times where I heard the most unexpected things pop out of unexpected mouths. A time I realised how grateful I am, how impatient I'm getting, how much I'm growing as a person and how I noticed the minor, eventual changes. I smiled 5 minutes ago.

Not sure how I'd pull through the next two years of this juggling act, but there's nothing Lily can't do. There will be suffering, stress... where time will no longer be a malleable factor --- haha, this sounds emo; fuck it, I'm superman. It'll be worth it at the end.. or I'll keep telling myself that. Nonetheless it's that time of the year where I bury my head in the sand, away from this intra-realm of absoluteness. My graduation is in April!! I'll keep posted or if there's anything else that's worth posting. I'll still be lurking around!

See you all in a few :)

PS. Coldplay is coming!

I miss doing this at work!

Time Killer TAG--------Supersonic BOOM

2012-02-25T22:56:00.005+13:00

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?50
Which is worse, failing or never trying?Never trying
If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?We follow a vicious cycle, the repetitive, conventional way of life. in a way, I guess it's all we know. Our actions are never parallel to the things we say. Perhaps, if one day we all do the things we say we'd do, life wouldn't be so short.
When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?Pretty much what I just said above, pay attention.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?A lot of things, but where there's change, there's conflict.
If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?As corny as it sounds, but spending time with people who makes me happy... duhh
Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?Settling I guess, I really have no idea what I want to do nor could I ever make a career out of what I believe in.
If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?If you give me a chance to do it all over again, I'd live my life exactly how it is.
To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?Every time I make a choice...?
Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?None, I do things my way.
You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?Beat them up with a stick, haha I'm kidding. Depends, are these 3 people my close friends as well? if they back up their criticism I'll hear them out. If they point irrational and purely unjustified slashes then I'd confront them, lose my respect for them and wouldn't hang around them.
If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?Always find balance
Would you break the law to save a loved one?Yeh
Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?Stupid question, we all have
What’s something you know you do differently than most people?I don't sugarcoat? That's how I usually show people I care.. Maybe that's why I don't have many friends. hahaha
How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?Because everyone is different you dumb shit
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?Travel, I've traveled alone and it's a bit shocking. So I prefer to have a travel bud, which is impossible to find.
Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?I don't think so
If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?Austria, Japan or Hungary.
Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?Nope, Just once
Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?I hate worrying. Joyful simpleton all the way!
Why are you, you?Baby I was born this way...
Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?If I were someone else, I would be the one friend I'd keep.
Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Move away, time will change people. Also, I usually don't lose touch with people without a good reason.
What are you most grateful for?The people around me who makes me feel worth-while.
Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?Never be able to make new ones
Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?Don't ask me this, I'm pretty gullible sometimes
Has your greatest fear ever come true?Not sure what my greatest fear is
Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?Can't remember, so probably not.
What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?I don't remember a lot of my childhood but I remember a feeling and I miss "the free days with no expectations."
At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?Um... Can't remember
If not now, then when?Shit, you're asking me?
If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?Never had that much to lose in the first place. Depends on how you look at things. Based on my perspective, it's a win-win situation most of the time. People just have trouble seeing the potential gain in losing things I guess?
Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?.....I'm not too great with awkward silences.. it makes me want to walk away NOT feeling like I just had the best conversation ever...
Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?Derps. Don't get me started on religion.
Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?No
If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?No
Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?More work i enjoy doing, that's a no brainer
Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?I'm pretty sure I have
When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?I march into the woods with one match stick every day
If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?My Grandparents
Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?No, being extremely attractive or famous won't bring you content or a peace of mind. So why would I bother trading 10 useless years of my life for more pointlessness?
What is the difference between being alive and truly living?What the fuck is truly living?!
When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?Define "right". That's a stupid question, most of the time we only attempt an action based on risk assessments and amount of immediate/long term gratification. Humans are selfish beings most of the time.
If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?This question pisses me off, just like people who can't spell.
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?Not a thing.
When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?Long time ago, when I caught a virus I had to breath through my mouth
What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?"Love" is not a word I'd throw around or take lightly, but I do love a few things, small things, simple things. I have been told that I get borderline crazy when I'm in love though not too great at openly expressing uh.. "my love", nor am I an emotional writer... I'm the dickhead who sends 1-3 word text messages.
In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?Maybe
Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?Both, the way people behave towards me helps me decide whether my finger should be on the trigger or not. Whether I pull it or not is up to me, most of the time.

Cafe Ish

2012-02-23T23:11:00.000+13:00

Chai Latte

My apologies, once again... no idea why the above picture is up-right... blogspot must really hate me. I've been drinking quite a few chai lattes as of late. Cafe Ish amazed me... REAL chai leaves brewed in a small tea pot of latte. I quite liked it. Irrespective of my incoherence... a quarter of my latte went on my dress. As Lauren quite often say, "Can't take you anywhere".

Crab Omlette

Crab omelette, kara-age soft shell crab, avocado and shallots, garlic, chilli, soy, ginger dressing $16.5
We are too reliant on Urbanspoon... but this was the outcome of our research, crab omlette. I quite like my soft shell crabs and my love affair with eggs is no secret. Maybe it's because I had a long night, this oily thing sat nicely in my tummy. It was delish. A hint of sweetness from the sauce combined with the crunchiness of the crabs = a heavenly meal. The avocado was quite creamy and "re-freshing"... the omlette... well it's an omlette... you can't go wrong with omlette-s. I'm not convinced by ginger, but it suited this dish fairly nicely, it wasn't over-powering but taste-able. I like balance. Probably wouldn't be able to eat this whole or all to myself, a bit too heavy. I recommend this as a sharing dish.

Ai's Freaking Awesome Fried Chicken

Ai’s freaking awesome fried chicken- vinegar, shallot & garlic sauce $14.5
We were keen to try the wagyu ribs, but apparently it's no longer a part of their menu... so we settled for some freaking awesome fried chicken! Alas, the name did not lie, it was some bloody good chicken. Interesting combo, sweet-ish, sour with the kind of fried dried up garlic from migoreng. Chicken was succulent, with a crunchy batter. Oh, this only came in "sets"--- as in a side of rice and miso soup. Wasn't too big on the miso soup they served.. it was a little bitter.

Cafe Ish... I'm impressed... Look forward to my next visit as I drop your cutlery and spill your lattes :)

Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard.

2012-02-21T01:08:00.001+13:00

Some times I miss how simple things used to be

Shiseido Autumn Launch: Shimmering Cream Eye Color

2012-02-13T21:11:00.000+13:00

It's been a while since I've blogged a post on make-up, promise I will do that more often...

I'm not being bias when I say that Shiseido's shimmering eye shadows are my all time favourite. Their new formula is super long lasting. I've gone through my fair share of eye shadows and they all either run, crease, smudge or all of the above. Maybe it's the humidity, maybe it's the retard formulation of my eye lids. I wear on my bird's grave that this doesn't run, smudge, crease, clump into balls or anything obscure. I love them so much I've ditched my eyeliner, if I need to line I'd grab a pot of these.

The texture is incredibly smooth and easy to work with. This stuff lasts on my lids ALL day and night. It's the only thing (and shiseido's mascara) I'd wear if I'm going to an event or on rainy/potentially rainy days. What I really loved from this line (previous launch) was the purple and the antique leather colour. Although I prefer the colour pay off more from the original cream colours, but the silkiness of this cream shadow definitely won me over. Few people felt that they've downsized from the previous pots, but there's no disparity in quantity. Another thing worth mentioning is that the new formula consists of jewel reflecting powder, great for gals who love their shimmer also an apposite match for matte lips.

OR313 (Sunshower), PK 214 (Pale Shell), BL215(Ice)

Sorry, bad camera/lighting

Ice is a crisp and some what metallic baby blue colour, I'm NOT a blue person... I'm boring with my eye shadows.. I only really only wear grey, browns some times purples and green is newly introduced. But theses are quite pretty all over the lid or as an eyeliner. It's actually more blue than this but again.. bad lighting

Sunshower--- Reminds me of a very warm, sweet salmony colour :)

Pale Shell-- Probs my favourite. You can use this on it's own or dab it on top of any other powder shadow for long-wearing + shimmer!

Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar

2012-02-13T21:05:00.000+13:00

I love my Italian food. I crave spag bol every two weeks. I remember making too much spag bol when I was house sitting and ended up eating spag every day for 2 weeks.

Once again, I passed on Quarter Twenty-One and went with Ragu instead.

Spaghetti Bolognaise-- $14

My dish came out within 10mins of ordering.... wtf... How can you cook a decent spag bol in 10mins!?!? Fair to assume that it's pre-made or partially pre-made.
I was surprised that they used real beef chunks, personally, I much prefer beef mince. Not enough sauce...whatever sauce that was splattered on this dish was quite awful, almost bitter. Spag was undercooked, VERY chewy. Serving was generous, it took me extra stomach space to finish it. Might opt for the carbonara next time. Actually, No, I won't be returning. I prefer spag bol @ Jamie's Italian to this. Still on the hunt for the best spag bol in sydney!

The friend ordered the above.. no freaking idea what the hell it was..... maybe baked veal stuffed with bacon and cheese with roast potatoes... think it was about $16

Greenfield Station Bistro

2012-02-12T20:17:00.000+13:00

We've been coming here every year for the last three years. It's becoming a tradition.

Unfortunately, the food has been venturing on a down-ward spiral.

Surf and Turf Mix Grill $25

I always order Surf n Turf--- lamb cutlet, mini steak, chicken tenderloins, prawn skewer, salt and pepper squid with chips and Caesar salad--- (I think I'll need to step outside my square and order someone new... eventually). Two years ago, surf n turf was a must have item on their menu. Guess meat age as bistros age??? The lamb cutlet has lost it's flavour, it was tender, but lacked seasoning. Mini steak was basically bland and extremely difficult to cut through, cardboard equivalent. Chicken tenderloins were dry and stringy, flavour was ok. Prawn skewer was juicy and tender, flavour was true, enjoyable. Salt & pepper squid was good, Chips were meh...borderline soggy, no crunch... and no chicken salt!?!??!!? Caesar salad tasted like a fridge.

Rump Steak 300 gram $22

Ordered medium rare, it was over cooked. Hard to cut into, rather difficult to chew, lacked flavour... probably an old cow.

Don't really have anything else to say about this place. It's a real shame because I enjoyed the laid back setting. I think next time I go, if I do... I'd order one of their infamous stone fired pizza.

George's Cafe

2012-02-12T03:12:00.000+13:00

I wondered off to Burwood, swore I'd never return to the hell-hole, perhaps I need to renew my vows.
We were allured into George's Cafe by their dessert visuals. Similar to a "milk-bar" booth setting, I actually quite like the tall back to back cushioned chairs.

Service was next to horrific. By the time we hailed down a waiter I was grey and old. I get a tiny bit concerned when my food is prepared and served by a bunch of 20yr old dudes. The guy at the bar saw me waving around but looked the other way, fuck I'm not that ugly.

Can't tell you what I ordered... but it was pretty much creamy sauce + mushrooms + chicken and penne, it was about $20. My friend ordered the same. 20mins later the waiter came out with our dishes, instead of the creamy penne, he gave my friend PESTO penne... I thought I had bad hearing... "Pesto" VS "The same"... I can't see it.

The waiter who took our order came around to question us, we reconfirmed that we ordered two of the same dishes. He brushed it off with a "Yeh ok, that's fine". Not apologetic at all. So... I sat there playing with my food, while offering some to my friend, I felt bad for eating while a friend sat there in starvation.

The second dish came out after another 20mins.

The food was less than average, generous servings but the penne was under-cooked. No true flavour all I could taste was cream. I actually felt quite sick half way through, the portion was tremendous that we had to ask for boxes to take home. Guess... value for money?

Oh not to forget, their cleanliness is also questionable. Our metal water jug had some baby-food equivalent mesh stuck on the inner rim of the mouth.

Won't be going there again.

We'll rip down the picture frames

2012-02-12T01:15:00.003+13:00

Everyone is leaving. I can't wait for my turn. Not usually a jealous person, but in this case, I am incredibly jealous!

I'm lapsing, I've been going through my invites on facebook and continuously clicking "Not Attending", again. Even if I'm in the area, heck even if I'm walking past the venue. There's an increasing barrier and level of difficulty in communicating with other people. On top of my "flawless" memory. Not sure which I'd get first, aspergers or Alzheimer.

Soft shell crab salad

It's amazing

2012-02-10T01:56:00.000+13:00

You know that feeling when life sudden shakes you.

You realise you're palpitating and all the crap exists?

I just got that, but I have my doubts. You're all a figment of my imagination.

Here's a picture of agedashi tofu

I'll kill your fucking dog for fun so don't push me

2012-02-08T00:31:00.001+13:00

I'd grow a dick for Natalie Portman.

Need a drink, maybe two, five, ten.

30mins in.

85 Degrees Bakery & Cafe

2012-02-06T23:42:00.002+13:00

Finally went and picked up a cake for mum.

Was originally gonna get it from Laurent... but she likes 85C, I think it's Taiwanese or something.

Chococino $38

Inside Chococino

From memory, they advertised this cake to be filled with mousse.. but it's more like cream, chiffon, cream, cherries, chiffon, beat up crean with chocolate shaving and more chiffon.

Not overly sweet and relatively light weight, it was very fresh. Easy on the eyes, taste-wise definitely did not appeal to my palette.

I do like their assortment of single served cakes, their white chocolate chiffon thingy was amazing, mouthgasm!!!

Zumbo

2012-02-04T19:41:00.004+13:00

I was quite the Masterchef fanatic, eventually I jumped on the Zumbo bandwagon. Until I get a car, Balmain will have to wait.

I accidentally ended up at The Star (Star City, I know, what a wanky new name) with a friend one night. Gotta say, the new place is intricately renovated, attracting an abundant tourists, wankers and Godsford skirt lass'.
It was to my ardent surprise to see a sign indicating "Zumbo" is straight ahead. We literally pranced towards the store and looked into the glass window. Too bad it was closed.

Out of curiosity I went back some other night and picked up some of his infamous macarons.

5 for $12.50

Thanks to my flawless memory I won't be able to tell you the flavours... other than the green one is milo and one of the yellow is salted butter caramel.

To be honest.... don't understand the hype. They tasted like the ones I had at David Jones food hall... plus, didn't even have pistachio.. what let down. They were overly sweet for my palette and definitely not value for money. Flavours were lacking, combination was less than impressive. The size of the macaron is about a quarter of my palm... and I have small hands. Mediocre for a hefty price tag.

Sorry Zumbo, won't be re-purchasing your no more than average rons. However, an old friend always told me to give everything and everyone the benefit of doubt. I may give his other desserts a go at his Balmain store.

2012-02-03T22:49:00.001+13:00

Where did January go?

I have a feeling 2012 will be like every other passerby years, treading days a guinea pig on wheels.

I hope I'll get more of what I actually want to do done this year. If there's one thing I learnt from the previous year is that you will never get shit done being co-dependent.

Nonetheless, cheers to a new beginning.

Here's a picture I found on my phone. Quite pretty.

Nourishing Quarter

2012-01-29T02:48:00.000+13:00

If you know me, you'd know how much I love my meat. My old roomie has been meaning to take me to this vegan place, I was never convinced. In fact, I even tried to get out of it a few times.

But uh....

I'm SOLD.

I'm so glad I went. I can't think of a single con (maybe except for the fact that they over charged us for the cake.. i think it's only meant to be $5.5), worth dinning, good food, great service. Will return.

Quinoa noodle salad; Entree size

Sacred Khot 5 for $13 (I think)

Passage to India; Entree size

Raspberry & Lemon Cheesecake $13.5

Tea

Simple times and same old life.

2012-01-26T16:42:00.003+13:00

I now have an abundance of "free-time" with this current position, I finish at 2pm... meaning I have approx 9 hours to kill before bed. This is a huge disparity from my usual 2-3hrs. Which is probably why I'm here quite often. My days feeds off feeble activities as most things I do sparks little interest.

Although I haven't found my piece of mind just quite yet. But just maybe, or I'd like to think that..

I've found a temporary euphoria.

Kelly's Bar & Grill

2012-01-19T15:39:00.002+13:00

I received a sizable sum of gift vouchers so thought I'd take my birth giver to Bondi Junction, where I slave laboured for approx 1 year. She's not big on meat so I thought I'd spice up her papillae by suggesting pork ribs.... "mmm... ok..." she replied rather tenuously.

We were both pretty hungry by the time we arrived. Bread and butter was complimentary.. not sure if it's because I was hungry but god damn, that's the best tasting bread I've ever had.... oh so buttery! It the perfect combination of sweet and savoury.

Add caption

350gm Pork Ribs $27.95

Pork ribs were good, not amazing or anything like that. It didn't reach my expectation as no meat was falling off the bone. A little bit chewy, the sauce reminds me of the seasoned pork bits you get from chinese meat shops. Chips were fine, I liked the seasoning of the chips though... but nothing beats the parmesan and truffle chips from Charlie & Co! Decent serving for the price. It's probably comparable (Flavour-wise) to Hurricane's Bar & Grill... except there's a lot more meat on the ribs @ Kellys. Hurricane's ribs were pretty boney and skin-filled, equally tender... but not as tender as the ribs I had a Pancakes on the Rocks... now THOSE ribs had meat falling off the bone like a feeble being.

Caesar Salad $14.95

We were gonna go with an entree, main & a dessert but couldn't fit dessert in. Caesar salad was "average" best one I've had thus far was from the Bistro @ Bankstown RSL. The leaves were very crunch. There's just not enough flavour!

The lunch time service on the other hand was impeccable.

Chat Thai Westfield Sydney Restaurant Review

2012-01-18T21:43:00.001+13:00

Since I spent christmas and new years and most other days slave labouring away I called up my food buddy for a meal. We encountered immense difficulty while attempting to find a decent restaurant.

We were tossing up between the infamous one chef's hat restaurant Quarter Twenty One and Chat Thai....nothing on Quarter Twenty One's menu took my fancy so Chat Thai it was. I've had a relatively positive experience in previous times, so why not.

We began feasting at noon, the place was quickly packed an hour later (this was on a Monday by the way)

Prawns & Glass noodles

Pork belly & ginger + curry or something..

FISH, with a lot of chilli

Sorry guys, I was suppose to post this up a few weeks ago but didn't have time... I get an ear-full on my days off.. so I've forgotten what the dishes are actually called.

Lets just say that ALL of the mains we picked were extremely oily. The stomach was bloated and couldn't fit in dessert. I felt incredibly sick within 30mins of the meal. Having said that, it was enjoyable.. in a sick way. I just wouldn't order the same combination together, ever, again.

Mazzaro Restaurant Review

2012-01-04T00:05:00.002+13:00

Tucked away near Museum station. I was impressed with the service and food the first time... I had to go back for seconds. Prior to Mazzaro's I was a cheap eater.... Guess that changed, since the only thing I'm willing to splurge on is food. Oh delicacy!

Duck Ravioli

Skipped entree this time, in my previous visit I had their deliciously crunchy and flavoursome garlic bread, just the right amount of herbs. Went straight onto main, got the Duck Ravioli ---$28.50 with white wine and wasabi sauce. Pastry wasn't as thin as I'd prefer, the duck was a little dry, stringy and lacking flavour. I don't think the filling was marinated. The sauce was creamy, with a hint of wasabi, minimal red wine.. just the right balance for me. But overall, I thought the main was a little disappointing and rather bland to be honest.

Previously, I ordered the Saffron Angel Hair $32-- with prawns, smoked salmon, spinach and chilli. Which was absolutely fantastic... huge meal and I almost OD on olive oil.

Honeycomb & marshmallow ice cream cake

Honeycomb and Marshmallow ice Cream Cake $12.50---- Let me start off by saying that Mazzaro's desserts are ... amazing. Just look at the picture above, it was intricate and crafty.. I guess. From the top, you get a dark chocolate fudge with a piece of toffee. The honeycomb marshmallow ice cream cake is layered, with a bottom of a short bread/biscuit crumb base. Some sour jelly to the left. Bit of blueberries and strawberries to the bottom. Topped off with some custard on the plate. This place is worth it just for the dessert, had the creme brulee... my taste buds has never been this excited.

2012

2012-01-03T01:36:00.001+13:00

Rip it up and turn the page.

El Loco Restaurant Review

2011-12-17T00:43:00.000+13:00

A 7-mins walk from Central station (Devonshire exit), El Loco is hidden behind a pub. The overall design is very retro/vintage... yet at the same time you kinda want a pina colada when you approach the ordering "shack"

They had quite a 90's beach house style setting for those who are keen to dine indoor as well as alfresco dining.

I ordered the Beef Taco Carne Asada $5 – lemongrass beef & salsa verde --- essentially beef, cheese, chilli/salsa and some greens. My friend ordered the prawn taco. I was SHOCKED when the "dish" arrived. It was BITE size... TINY equivalent to the size of a small coffee plate. Having said that, it was definitely delicious. I was hoping to have the taco for lunch alone but it's more like an "entree" or a "snack". The beef was tender and flavoursome while the cheese was just... I can't even explain it..

Right after the taco we got a Excelsior Hot Dog $9 ---Grilled pork Frankfurt served on a soft bun with pickled jalepenos, pico ge gallo, mayonnaise and cheese. This was an "average" hot dog... not sure how I feel having Frankfurt in hot dogs...

This would be a place i'd go back for a quick snack/quick lunch/street food-mojo. Pricey drink--- 40% ice in a plastic cup for $13.5.

To be honest, food was pricey for tiny a portion, I finished my taco in three bites. Go figure.

Charlie & Co. Restaurant Review

2011-12-08T00:25:00.001+13:00

I've been eager to visit Charlie & Co since Westfield's opening. Even though I love all types of food, I'm picky, I haven't laid a finger on McDonald's preservatives filled burgers.. those aren't real buns... it's a glucose mesh!

Charlie and Co is located on the upper floor of Westfield Sydney, among other "high-end" restaurant chains. It was very much a self serve food-court style venue. We ordered and paid for our food in line prior to devouring them. We sat down on the outskirt of the semi enclosed area of Charlie & Co. If you are willing to pay an extra $2 for your burger you'd be eligible to sit in their "VIP" area (behind the black band; see picture below) and have water delivered to your table. This was a joke...money is the margin of service? we're all your customers, why differentiate and segregate people by a mere $2? Ridiculous.

After reading all the previous reviews.... I couldn't help myself and ordered the Federation Burger $16 (Seasoned Angus beef pattie with tomato relish, tomatoes, lettuce, aged cheddar, fried egg, bacon, sautéed onion and aioli.) To be honest, this was a bit of a let down... the sour tomato relish didn't go well with the bland taste of bread and chewy angus... Odd combination, dry and tasteless.

I ate half of my friend's Wagyu & Co Burger $16 (Wagyu burger with beetroot relish, pickled gherkin, aged cheddar and aioli on a sesame bun). The beef literally melted in my mouth. I liked the combination a lot more than the federation burger. However... this burger was obviously over priced. My idea of "over-priced" burgers are gourmet... like an intricate 5-decked turkey in a seeded brown bun. For god sake, if you're going to charge $16 for a burger, you may as well pair it with some gourmet sour dough instead of a glucose bun.

Parmesan & Truffle Fries $8... this was yummy, I'm not a fries person... but I enjoyed this. However, the lack of Parmesan was a major disappointment. All I could taste was the truffle oil. We got a few dandruff-like cheese specks. Charming. Hefty price tag for a few potatoes but I think this would be a nice, occasional treat. Go for the fries, skip the burgers.