Grab Your Fork: A Sydney food blog

Indian Chopsticks, Harris Park

2013-05-20T00:23:00.000+10:00

Say, what? Indian Chinese food? Think saucy. Think chop suey. Think sweet-and-sour with a chilli kick. Indian Chinese cuisine is said to have originated in Calcutta in the early 1900s – dishes cooked by Hakka immigrants that were gradually adapted to local Indian tastes. Today, Indian Chinese cuisine has spread all over India – and to much of Malaysia and Singapore too – but you won’t have to

Red Pepper Korean fried chicken at Strathfield Sports Club

2013-05-13T02:08:00.002+10:00

If you've never had the need to go to a sports club, I've found the perfect one for you. Head past the tennis courts and soccer fields at Strathfield Sports Club and hook a right into the Red Pepper bistro for, yep, you guessed it, Korean fried chicken. Strathfield Sports Club bistro A club bistro might be the last place you'd expect to find good food, but we're in Strathfield, transport hub

Momofuku Seiobo, The Star, Sydney

2013-05-06T01:07:00.002+10:00

The Momofuku pork bun. There are few chefs in the world as synonymous with a signature dish as David Chang and the Momofuku pork bun. It's not even a dish that was engineered to be famous. The pork bun was an added side dish to the mostly ramen menu at his first restaurant, Momofuku noodle bar. New Yorkers, it soon became apparent, couldn't get enough of the pillowy soft bun and pork belly

Mary's, Newtown

2013-04-29T02:46:00.002+10:00

It's official. You cannot have too much fried chicken in this town. As Newtown's newest bar, Mary's, lights up across Twitter streams, the buzz is all about the fried chicken, and what many claim to be the 'best hamburger in Sydney'. Seriously. Mary's sits in a space with a lively past. The tall building down a narrow side street has at times been home to an STD clinic, a Masonic Hall, a pool

Something for Jess, Chippendale

2013-04-22T01:29:00.001+10:00

Some people buy their loved one a box of chocolates. Others name a cafe after them. If that's not enough to make you smile, then the seasonal menu and eclectic decor at this charming little cafe is sure to win you over. Owner and chef Philip Ocampo named Something for Jess after his partner. He opened this quaint cafe after making the rounds of Sydney food markets with his organic Mexican food

Yebisu Izakaya, Regent Place, Sydney

2013-04-15T02:13:00.004+10:00

It's been dubbed Little Japan, and it's easy to see why. There are enough moody lanterns, brightly lit signs and choruses of irrashaimase to excite any Tokyophile in this newly renovated section of Regent Place. Remember the dark and rather mysterious entrance to Azuma? It's barely recognisable now with new tenants Yebisu Izakaya, a Japanese tapas-style bar serving sake, sushi and snacks from

Colombia Organik Cafe, Haymarket, Sydney

2013-04-08T01:19:00.001+10:00

Is there some kind of conspiracy to keep South American food menus secret from the public? It's a thought that crosses my mind when we venture into Colombia Organik, a sandwich shop and cafe that offers more than just the juices and frappes advertised loudly out front. This narrow little cafe has been open for a couple of years now, but the predominantly black frontage makes it easy to miss,

Mie Kocok Bandung, Maroubra

2013-04-02T00:44:00.003+11:00

Mie Kocok Campur $10 Combination beef flavoured soup Okay, so Mie Kocok might send some of us into teenaged sniggers, but ‘mie kocok’ in Indonesian means “shaken noodles”, a specialty from Bandung in West Java. It's an all-in-one beef noodle soup: chewy ropes of fresh, handmade noodles shaken about in hot water until cooked then plunged into a deep bowl of clear, sweet beef broth. Decor

Stomachs Eleven: Slow cooked chuck, tri-tip and beef short rib meats

2013-03-25T02:38:00.000+11:00

Meat. I don't know that I could ever give up eating protein, but I do think it's imperative to eat meat responsibly. This includes eating all the secondary cuts and offal - not just the prime pieces. And really, why would you want to miss out on the parts of the animal that are richer in flavour, unique in texture and so much cheaper too? It's a philosophy shared by home cook extraordinaire

Fish Place, Surry Hills

2013-03-19T00:20:00.005+11:00

Forget the supplements. Fish Place is the tastiest way to load up on your omega-3s. Located just a few doors up from El Loco, the corner building looks more like a giant artwork, splashed with a repetition of sardine cans promising "smoked fish". Adam de Launay, last seen at The Smokehouse, is behind this latest venture. His dad, Stephen, is in charge of the smoker, churning out freshly smoked

Galileo Restaurant at The Langham, Sydney

2013-03-11T02:33:00.001+11:00

The Observatory Hotel is no more, replaced by The Langham, Sydney. Apart from the new sign out the front, things look much the same inside, with The Globe Bar and the Galileo Restaurant remaining unchanged in name. Head Chef Anthony Craven's menu at Galileo is described as modern Australian although there are distinct French influences throughout. Patrons can choose to order from the a la

The Hub House Diner, Dulwich Hill

2013-03-04T01:56:00.002+11:00

The Hub House Diner looks like an eatery straight out of Surry Hils -- except it's actually in Dulwich Hill, and locals couldn't be happier. Booth seating, gas lamp-style lights overhead and a cheery mix of rainbow-painted metal furniture have brought a real buzz to a formerly struggling restaurant site. Now it doesn't seem to matter when you walk past, but the restaurant is consistently

Brickfields, Chippendale

2013-02-25T01:30:00.001+11:00

Beef brisket. Say hello to your new friend for life. Just as the new Brickfields bakery cafe is breathing new life into the backstreets of Chippendale, the beef brisket sandwich is guaranteed to put a little extra pep into your step at lunchtime. View into the bakery at Brickfields Although the cafe may only have been open for two weeks, they've been baking wholesale bread here for three

Kampong Boy, Hurstville

2013-02-18T00:24:00.000+11:00

Forest Road in Hurstville is always bustling with shoppers, but there's a tiny one-way section of road that is significantly quieter. It's here you'll find Kampong Boy, squeezed between two Sichuan restaurants either side. Inside the decor is understated and simple, but the dark timber tables, hanging lights and the spinning wooden fan overhead has echoes of a Malaysian kopitiam coffee house.

King Island Dairy cheese launch and Sydney by helicopter

2013-02-11T01:48:00.003+11:00

Cheese and a helicopter ride. Could there be a more exciting invitation to receive for a Friday? The event was the launch of two new cheeses by King Island Dairy - the first in seven years - to be held in the Hunter Valley. Forget the three hour drive. We'd be flown by helicopter! And so I found myself in one of three choppers with seven other food editors, journalists and bloggers last Friday

Excelsior Jones, Ashfield

2013-02-04T02:33:00.000+11:00

Excelsior Jones may have only been trading for three weeks (day one was January 11) but locals can't get enough. Ashfield is home to many a fine dumpling house, but finding a decent cafe has always been a struggle. Co-owners Anthony Svilicich and James Naylor (both ex- Le Monde) have come to the rescue, opening up Excelsior Jones in a long-gone local grocery store in a residential street in

Poplar Central Asian Cuisine, Crows Nest

2013-01-25T01:07:00.001+11:00

Meat on sticks is good, but meat on swords is better. At Poplar, it’s chunks of lamb skewered onto swords of flattened steel, cooked over charcoal until smoky. Dusted liberally with cumin, the meat is tender and aromatic – if you’re lucky you’ll score a fatty piece that’s reminiscent of a caramelised lamb chop. The sword-like skewers are a throwback to the Central Asian soldiers of yore who

Porteño, Surry Hills

2013-01-21T01:06:00.002+11:00

Meat. And fire. The metal frames look more like torture instruments, but to a hot-blooded carnivore, the Argentinian asado barbecue pit offers a reverential appreciation for all things meat. It's the promise of flesh that brings fervent diners to Porteño. Fifteen minutes before the doors open for dinner, the queue outside is consistently twenty people deep. Inside, the asado takes centre stage

Town Bike Pitstop, Redfern

2013-01-14T01:33:00.002+11:00

"Town Bike has a double meaning, I know, but we kinda like that," says co-owner John Azzi with a twinkle in his eye. Together with friend Graham Rowe, the two have created the Town Bike Pitstop, combining coffees with bicycle know-how. The idea came from a shared love of commuter cycling that flourished during their stay in Amsterdam where they were former flatmates. Out the front is the cafe,

Jazz City Diner, Darlinghurst

2013-01-07T00:35:00.001+11:00

Fried chicken and waffles. It's dinner and breakfast in one. Crunchy fried chicken and crisp fluffy waffle. Both drowned in lashings of maple syrup. It's the only thing on my mind as we head to dinner at Jazz City Diner. Dining room and booths inside Jazz City Diner The dining room is tinier than you'd expect, with room for only 24 diners. Booth seating lines one wall, inset with a

Stomachs Eleven Christmas Dinner 2012

2012-12-24T03:46:00.000+11:00

There is no doubt that good food can create a happy gathering, but good company is vital. Friends and laughter can make any meal special. Our band of travelling appetites, otherwise known as Stomachs Eleven, assembled at the home of Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin' over the weekend for our annual Christmas dinner. The theme for tonight, Pig Flyin' said, would be The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known

Step-A-Side Diner, Cabramatta

2012-12-17T01:44:00.003+11:00

All aboard the ex-Melbourne train carriage Food trucks might be honking their way all over the city but you’ll have to hustle out west to find Sydney’s only diner in a train carriage. It’s a dream come true for father and daughter team George and Francesca Papas, who converted the decommissioned train carriage into an American-style diner. A Melbourne train car was chosen over a Sydney one

Naruone, Sydney

2012-12-10T01:28:00.002+11:00

Korean fried chicken. Hello. Is there a more perfect dish than fried chicken? You say deep-fried poultry. I say protein crunch from the gods. It's no secret that fried chicken and I are mates from way back. Hunting down the best fried chicken in Sydney is a personal quest of mine I take seriously. And often. Which is how I ended up eating fried chicken at Naruone three times over the course of

Cool things to do in Christchurch, New Zealand

2012-12-03T00:34:00.001+11:00

How do you rebuild a city that's had its heart torn out? It's the question facing Christchurch in the aftermath of two quakes that struck in September 2010 and then February 2011. Nobody expected an earthquake to hit Christchurch. It was always Wellington that was tipped to receive The Big One. In the two years since the second major quake struck, 1,000 buildings in the Christchurch city

Sydney food bloggers Christmas picnic 2012

2012-11-26T01:45:00.003+11:00

Food is often a social activity, but the process of food blogging is not. Editing photos, uploading images, researching online and writing text can seem a lonely task at 3am. Creating an opportunity to meet fellow food bloggers was the impetus behind Chocolatesuze and I organising the first ever Sydney food bloggers Christmas picnic in 2009. Our regular annual event has grown ever since, and