currently under review

happy mothers' day

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Sun, 09 May 2010 04:11:00 +0000

Here are 2 recipes that always remind me of my Mum.

Curry puffs

These are deliciously moreish, particularly fresh out of the oven. So typically there was a huge dent in the number that we planned to take to get-togethers (often along with another family favourite, mango pudding).

You'll need:

500g beef mince
2-3 medium sized potatoes
1 small can of coconut cream
1 onion, diced
3 tablespoons of your favourite curry powder
3 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg

1. Boil potatoes until soft, then mash to the consistency that you like. I prefer my potatoes a bit chunky still for that added texture, but a smoother consistency would make the puffs easier to fill.
2. Brown onion on the stove until fragrant.
3. Add mince and stir until cooked.
4. Add potatoes, coconut cream and curry powder and stir to combine.
5. Simmer mince mixture or 5 minutes or so, or until thick.
6. Place mince mixture aside to cool until at least room temperature.
7. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
8. Cut puff pastry into squares (either 9 or 16 is fine - 9's will hold more, 16's are, in my opinion, cuter but trickier to fill).
9. Place approximately one teaspoon of filling into each square and fold into a triangle (rectangles, like tiny sausage rolls, also works well).
10. To prevent the filling bursting out of the pastry in an unattractive fashion, use a fork to press down each of the open sides of the triangle/rectangle. I was too lazy this time round.
11. Brush each puff with egg.
12. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
13. Cool on a wire rack and watch them disappear!

You'll often end up with more than enough filling for 3 sheets of pastry, depending on the size of the potatoes and how full you make the puffs - the leftover filling is delicious with rice.

Rice crispies - adapted from this recipe

You'll need:

3 cups of rice bubbles
1 packet of marshmallows (I've used packets of varying sizes and they all turn out ok)
50g of butter

1. Melt marshmallows and butter in a pan until combined.
2. Pour over rice bubbles and stir to combine.
3. Press mixture into lined lamington tray and refrigerate until set.
4. Cut into fingers and enjoy.

You can add some nuts and/or Milo for variety, but I find that the Milo makes it overly sweet.

Hope you all have a great day :) Thanks for everything, Mum!

ginger and spice, neutral bay

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:49:00 +0000

This isn't exactly the cheapest Malaysian eatery going around (the below meal for 4 of us came to $140 with Chinese tea and chicken rice), but it's mighty tasty (and we didn't hold back on the ordering). Plus apparently Tetsuya's a fan (if the autographed photo of him on display at the restaurant is anything to go by). There's a recommendation I wouldn't discount.

Chef's spring rolls. Not sure how they make the wrappers, but they are deliciously flaky. Only problem is they are so teeny.

The star of the night - half a Hainanese chicken rice. So tender... mmm... we have discovered a make-at-home kit recently that is quite good, but I still think this is delicious.

Char kway teow (stir fried rice noodles). A bit too heavy on the sweet soy for our liking, but maybe that's authentically Malaysian?

Belacan kangkong (water spinach). A bit more chilli than Temasek but always a hit with our table.

Beef rendang. Very tender and tasty. I just wish it'd photograph better.

Deep-fried squid with sweet soy. The deep-frying makes the sweet soy caramalise into a slightly crunchy coating which is utterly delicious. Ditto on the photography remark above though.

Desserts: gula melaka (sago with coconut milk and palm sugar) and borbor chacha (sweet potato and yam/taro in coconut milk).

Definitely worth a visit. Book ahead as it's very popular (but hasn't seemed to have been foodblogged other than by NQN?)

Ginger and Spice

240 Military Road

Neutral Bay NSW 2089

(02) 9908 2552

Cash only

Open 7 days for lunch and dinner, except Monday lunch

freckle face cafe, kirribilli

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:53:00 +0000

Today marked the inaugural meeting of what I've termed the "First Sunday Breakfast Club" - an opportunity for us yuppies to gather over what we've come to agree is the best meal of the day. Fortified with caffeine, maple syrup and bacon, we can then head off to tend to what my friend has termed "life admin" - grocery shopping, cleaning and all those pesky things we don't have time to do on weekdays because we're working til 9pm (strictly speaking, that's me in 5 months' time - I'm currently making the most of my time at the government, which is clearly evident from the times of these posts. This one is a rare weekend effort).

My French toast ($9.50). The best thing about this place is that you can customise your breakfasts (by adding bacon onto your French toast, for example) and they will get it right. Coffees come with a complimentary chocolate freckle. They will also split bills, which is very convenient, although that led to a bit of embarrassment at the conclusion of our breakfast meeting when there was a misunderstanding over whether or not one of our members had paid. It was all cleared up in the end though.

While you're in the area, check out Wild Lotus (jewellery and handbags and Edward Monkton cards), Coco Chocolate and the multitude of adorable dogs that roam the streets (firmly attached to a rhinestone collar and leash, mind you).

Freckle Face Cafe
32A Burton Street
Kirribilli NSW 2061

(02) 9957 2116

lindt chocolate cafe, martin place, city

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:36:00 +0000

How good does this look?

This is apparently a new dessert at Lindt (according to their website) - the Mousse Trio. I experienced a serious case of food envy on this dish's arrival. Jealousy never lasts long though between true friends, and a get-together with high school buddies was the reason why we were at the Lindt Cafe late on a Saturday afternoon.

Not as photogenic, but just as delicious - the chocolate eclair

Which also features in the background of this shot of the hot fudge sundae. Amongst our other orders - hot chocolates (both milk and dark), a Rosella declice (mmm, ginger cream) and some sort of cake that I've now forgotten the name of... sorry!

So now that we've got the niceties out of the way, I have to have a word about the service. I never remembered it being quite so bad (having been a regular there when I was studying down the road). The waitress, faced with the prospect of having to seat 6 of us, snapped, "6 people? That's a large table", as though we were really putting her out in some way. Then she recommended a cake to my friend which turned out to be sold out. Lastly, she brought 4 cups of water when there were clearly 6 of us at the table, and it wasn't even as though 2 of us had ordered drinks and the others had not, so that only 4 of us didn't have anything to drink. Yes, it was a busy Saturday afternoon and maybe (a) we were taking the waitress' comment way too personally; (b) the last serving of the cake that she recommended to my friend got snapped up just as my friend ordered it and (c) we could have easily asked for more glasses of water, but I was quite disappointed considering that the place holds itself out as such as classy institution. The icing on the cake was when she plonked down the bill without any form of ceremony (and without us asking for it, and without there being any form of queue at the door waiting for a table)... to her credit, she did say "whenever you're ready" (probably because she saw me make a face. Yes, I don't hold back if I see something I don't like).

I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but I don't think we'll be heading back in a hurry.

Lindt Chocolate Cafe
53 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 8257 1600

Also at George Street, Darling Harbour and Miranda Westfield

Open 7 days - Mondays to Fridays 7:30am to 6pm, weekends 10am to 6pm

date night: malacca straits, broadway

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:21:00 +0000

Date night: a gen Y phenomenon whereby a couple, who may already be living together, ventures out for a traditional dinner and movie. The boy pays of course. (To illustrate just how gen Y it is, my workmate mentioned recently to her boss that she went on a date night with her live-in boyfriend. Her boss looked aghast, believing that she was having an affair).

Last Friday saw chapflap and I (who don't live together, I might add, just in the interests of full disclosure) headed back to Malacca Straits at Broadway after a first visit inspired by Simon Food Favourites (Grab Your Fork has also posted on this hidden treasure). That time, we had the murtabak, Hainanese chicken rice, wat tan hor (stir fried seafood hor fun) and ice kacang, all of which were delicious. This time, we had:

Otak-otak (from the specials menu, so I'm not sure how much it was. It wasn't expensive though). We hadn't tried anything like this before - minced fish with coconut milk steamed in leaves. Yum.

2 serves of roti canai ($6 altogether). Not as flaky as the ones at Mamak, but more than satisfying given you don't have to queue for half an hour for a table. Great for mopping up this...

Chicken kapitan curry ($13). I could seriously drink this sauce. Fragrant with a punch of tamarind sourness, it was the hit of the night.

Wat tan hor ($11). Similar in texture to the Cantonese 濕炒牛河 (literally "wet stir-fried beef rice noodles", as opposed to the also imaginatively named 乾炒牛河, which is "dry stir-fried beef rice noodles"), this had plenty of the all-important 鑊氣 ("wok breath", or that delicious smoky flavour achieved only through a massive flame and a well-seasoned wok), seafood and vegies.

I am such a sucker for Asian desserts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to say no to chocolate, cake or pastries, but I simply cannot resist any form of Asian dessert, particularly if it features lurid coloured syrups. There are 3 desserts available at Malacca Straits, one other of which is a shaved ice as well (ice kacang) - this is the slightly more adventurous ABC ($5), with rose flavoured (and coloured!) syrup, peanuts and corn hiding beneath all that shaved ice. I know it sounds unusual, but somehow it all just works.

Malacca Straits is the perfect place for your next date night. And for the record, yes, chapflap did pay.

Malacca Straits
66 Mountain Street (pretty much next door to Broadway Shopping Centre)
Broadway NSW 2007

Open for lunch and dinner Mondays to Saturdays

Menu available here

Park at Broadway Shopping Centre for 3 free parking, or 4 hours if like us, you are off to a movie after dinner at Hoyts. Note that the restaurant is tucked up pretty much right at the back of the apartment complex (Quadrant Building).

a yam yam education

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:55:00 +0000

Further to our receiving a Yam Yam at Sushi Samurai after dinner, here are the "fun words" as promised on the outside of the pack. My personal favourite? "Stag Beetle... love it". Love what? Love stag beetles? I am often partial to yelling out "love it" (particularly after a few drinks...), so it was particularly pleasant to find this as a "fun word" inside. Of course, I love "Cat... Say Meow". But that goes without saying.

On another note, it appears that each pack of Yam Yam contains 2 servings, each packing 160 calories. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten all the "Starfish... Star + Fish" in one go... (and why does "Golden Egg" not have a matching phrase? I should write to Meiji Seika (S) Pte Ltd and ask).

For those who know me personally, don't worry! I cleaned my desk before laying the biscuit sticks out in random order.

blog review: hong kong and two honourable mentions

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:34:00 +0000

You may have noticed that a large section of my "directory (not food)" is dedicated to the tiny Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. I'm from there originally (came to Australia when I was 5) and have only recently discovered its fantastic goodness (this may have coincided with my first visit there without the parents... sorry Mum and Dad!)

The recent discovery of HK's fantastic goodness may help to explain my obsession with the following sites:

Miss Fong in Hong Kong - Miss Fong, can you please update more often? You are Canadian (which I also claim to be, but only by birthplace) and oh-so-witty (which may go without saying, as all Canadians are witty, right?)

Lola in Hong Kong - the adventures of Lola, whose New Years Resolution every year is "to ooze the sex appeal of Marilyn Monroe at all times". What better place to do this than HK??

Sketches from the Other Side - the rugby references remind me of my best friend from high school, who still plays in a regular women's comp back in our hometown.

You may have noticed the above 3 blogs are all written by women. Never fear, there are male-written HK blogs too!

Hongkie Town - which I like for its slightly technical bend

Big White Guy - the title says it all really

Asian Correspondent: Living in Hong Kong - very informative and comprehensive

In fact, if you're looking for a HK blog to read, there's no better place to start than here, at the aptly named Hong Kong Blogs Review. You could also start on this post though (which evidently you may have done, since now you've read to the end of this post. Presuming that you read from the beginning of an article to the end. There's no hard and fast rule saying that you must do this.)

As for the two honourable mentions, they are going to be specific posts from food blogs that I read that have recently covered HK. Firstly, this post from the catty life had me drooling at my desk (not a good look, but completely justified).

Secondly, he needs food has written this fantastic series of posts which I have diligently printed out and highlighted for my next trip back in August.

Enjoy!

sushi samurai, pyrmont

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:36:00 +0000

After being thwarted by massive lines in our initial plans to go to Sizzler at Kogarah (I thought I was the only one obsessed with this place! I haven't been there since my childhood and have always planned to return... mmm... cheesy bread) and by the closure of Sushi on Steroids aka Sushi Tengoku (because of the public holiday? Or does it always close on Mondays?), we headed to Sushi Samauri at Pyrmont for a late dinner.

Agedashi tofu. We love this stuff.

So much so that we also got the agedashi eggplant (from the specials menu). I've never had anything but tofu in agedashi style before. This was nice.

Sushi and sashimi platter ($39.80). Pretty good value considering the massiveness of the serve. I would've liked more ginger though (I'm sure we could've asked for some more, we just didn't get around to it).

Hello, nostalgia! We actually noticed trays of these in the kitchen and wondered that maybe the staff had them as snacks. In fact, they hand them out as complimentary desserts. Sweet! I used to have the strawberry flavoured ones all the time as a child. Now it seems they've turned educational, with "fun words" printed on the biscuits!

Sushi Samurai

Shop 1/16-30 Bunn Street

Pyrmont NSW 2009

(02) 9518 8852

Open 7 days for lunch and dinner - last order for lunch is 3pm, last order for dinner 10pm

More information available here

south coast odyssey part two: bodalla, mogo and berry

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:15:00 +0000

We woke up on Monday morning to this:

Tee hee! I think the family in the campsite near us had sprinkled some bread around. But they were very friendly, especially the curious one in the first photograph!

A quick shout out re our accommodation - we stayed at the Island View Beach Resort which is in fact a caravan park, which you definitely can't tell from the name! I was a little trepidatious about staying at a caravan park for the first time in my sheltered life, but we had a great time. We stayed for 2 nights in a cabin with an ensuite, and found it very handy to have a kitchen. We'd actually tried to book at Easts Narooma but got a call saying that it was in fact fully booked (despite the online booking system accepting the booking). I was glad in the end that we stayed at Island View because it's a little bit (approximately 3km) out of Narooma - all the more peaceful and relaxing, while Easts was in fact in the middle of town.

After checking out we headed back north. First stop, Bodalla Dairy Shed which features in NotQuiteNigella's twin posts on the South Coast (which of course I'd printed off as reference material before our trip - thanks NQN!):

We sat out on the back deck where I noted home decorating idea number one:

And here is home decorating idea number two:

In fact, the table top was made out of an old door! Yes, we I do plan to have small plastic animals scattered about our home.

All that being a plastic animal is thirsty work! And who could resist a butterscotch milkshake in an old school milkshake cup? I slurped mine up so quickly (and noisily!) that the waitress asked, "would you like another one?"

There was a slight mix-up with our order but in the end we did receive one traditional scone with jam and cream and one cheese scone. No photos as I was too distressed at not receiving two traditional scones as we had ordered (can you tell I really love scones? They're in fact just a vehicle for jam and cream in my opinion. The cheese scone was still quite nice - reminded me of the vegetarian muffins that I used to get from Muffin Break during their end-of-day buy one get one free promotions. Now it's buy two get one free. I'm showing my stingy side here...)

After this delicious morning tea, we headed north to Mogo, where I had my heart set on going to the zoo. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and well-maintained Mogo Zoo was. We went to Taronga Zoo last year for the Roar and Snore, and I have to say I was a little distressed at the behind-the-scenes tours where I honestly found the conditions, particuarly for the chimpanzees, a bit too crowded and bare for my liking. The animals at Mogo all seemed fairly content, with plenty of room to play:

Look at that little darling face. Chapflap said that I wasn't allowed to have one, unfortunately (I'm not sure it would've got on that well with catflap anyway!)

Meerkat getting annoyed at the fact chapflap was taunting it with a bag of kangaroo/deer feed.

The village of Mogo was also lovely for those into trinkets and crafty things (i.e. me and not chapflap). I spent a bit of time pottering particularly around Jellybeads and Amanda's of Mogo, picking up enough supplies to keep me occupied for a little while. By the time I finished, it was late afternoon and the lunch places around Mogo were a bit empty for our liking. We ended up heading to Ulladulla where we picked up some take-away which we ate here:

Anything would taste good with a view like this! Although saying that, our fish burger, hamburger with the lot and scallops were very fresh and tasty. Perfect holiday food (along with oysters and gelato!)

We passed Hayden's Pies on the way through Ulladulla, which we worked out we'd actually tried before on a previous trip down the South Coast. So much for threatening chapflap with the prospect of camel pie! They mustn't have had camel that time, because we do remember having the rabbit pie.

Speaking of perfect holiday food, this is pretty much the perfect pick-me-up spot on the drive back north - particularly for the bargain basement price of $1 each? (6 for $5.50! Not that we got 6, as that would pretty much mean heart attacks for both of us)

With our oil levels satisfyingly elevated, it was left to chapflap to endure the end-of-long-weekend traffic jam while I blissfully snoozed. This is the life...

Island View Beach Resort
7323 Princes Highway (approximately 3km south of Narooma)
Narooma NSW 2546

Information and bookings here

Bodalla Dairy Shed
52 Princes Highway (on the right hand side of the road as you head north)
Bodalla NSW 2545

More information available here

Mogo Zoo
222 Tomakin Road (approximately 2km off the Princes Highway, just before Mogo as you head north)
Mogo NSW 2536

Recently featured in SMH. We in fact first heard about it on Getaway

Berry Donut Van
Princes Highway
Berry NSW 2535

Cute article about the van here

road trippin with my one favourite ally: bermagui and narooma

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:37:00 +0000

The Anzac Day long weekend saw chapflap and I heading down the coast to Narooma, approximately a further 2 hours south of Batemans Bay from Sydney.

First stop was the sleepy town of Bermagui, where one of my workmates had suggested we head to the "fab gelato and coffee place". Her directions? "It is in a street just off the main drag. Ask people - it is well known. There is a petrol station on the corner of the street it is on. There is a Mitre 10 or Bunnings or something like that hardware store almost next to it." Her directions were spot on! There is a Mitre 10 almost next door. For even easier identification, the Bermagui Visitors Centre (where you can pick up as many free maps as you want and get the assistance of lovely volunteers) is across the road.

My lilli pilli gelato. The fact it's almost exactly the same colour as my recently acquired wallet has nothing to do with the fact I chose this! I washed this down with a long black from...

Possibly the world's coolest coffee machine. We must get to Italy sometime soon!

Chapflap's triple: mango, macadmia nut and pineapple/feijoa. He initially asked for it in a cone, to which the (rather handsome, not that I said that to chapflap at the time!) shop assistant said, "usually we do triples in a container, as it melts rather quickly". Delicious (the gelato, of course, nothing else...)

After a wander around the Bermagui country markets (on every last Sunday of the month) and the lookouts around the area, we headed back to Narooma for lunch. A dozen local oysters...

And half a lobster made it really hit home that we were on holidays! (As we do often eat gelato while we aren't on holidays. Maybe me moreso than chapflap).

After the lunch, we hopped back in the car and headed to another one of my workmate's recommendations - Mystery Bay. Utterly gorgeous, with clear, clear water - a bit too cold this weekend for a swim, but I can imagine that it'd be the perfect spot in summer!

Look at that water!

After a fair bit of splashing around (from chapflap) and squealing (from me), we headed back to Narooma. "Look, a fish auction!" we said as we spotted this sign near the visitors' centre. "Would that be like the auctions at Tsukiji in Tokyo?"

I won't post the photos here of our haul, as they are a little confronting for non-fish eaters. It turned out that the fish auction was in fact a reverse auction, as in 3 men stood on the back of a truck with trays filled with salmon, blackfish, morwongs, leather jackets and various other fishies (some described by the particularly colourful fishmonger as "slippery fish" or "pointy nose fish"). We ended up with about 6 different types of fish (2 salmon for $6! And big salmon too, not little weeny ones) for less than $30 all up. This is probably what cemented our plans to return, and soon! Here, fishy fishy...

After that wonderful day, it was time to head back to our accommodation to cook dinner. 2 dozen oysters in one day... my kind of holiday!

Bermagui Gelato Clinic
Lamont Street
Bermagui NSW 2546

Another food blogger beat me to it - see here

Narooma is approximately a 5 hour drive south from Sydney along the Princes Highway. Bermagui is a further half an hour or so south, and Mystery Bay about half way in between Bermagui and Narooma.

l'etoile, paddington

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:36:00 +0000

Our friend organised a dinner at this lovely French restaurant on a Friday night. We were eventually let in after a little bit of confusion about what the name was booked under (why Anglicise your name for? I must confess I change my name on occasion, like when ordering coffee. It does make things easier. And I don't even have that unusual or foreign of a name. It's a tricky one). Apart from that, the service was seamless and friendly, with constant top-ups of wine and prompt attention to taking orders/ bringing orders/ bringing dessert menus.

The constant top-ups of wine may have had an effect on the quality of the following photos (combined with the effect of an early release from work because of the long weekend and therefore inevitable drinks, this time at the East Sydney)...

Ok, if I was had a photo editing program I would obviously bring the lighting right up on this shot. But I'm not hard core enough to do any sort of editing on my photos so this is what you get. This was my lamb saddle main, which was delicious. We had side orders of real French fries (yum!) and beans. Amongst the other orders... there was the pork, the kingfish, the steak and... another steak?

Complimentary watermelon and champagne granita palate cleansers. Refreshingly clean flavours, but not for those with sensitive teeth!

My creme brulee. A huge serve with a satisfyingly crunchy top. Not too thick in terms of toffee either. Doesn't the accompanying biscuit look like a Pringle? You'll be pleased to know it was definitely sweet rather than savoury (now I have a craving for those fluoro orange cheese flavoured Pringles. Gross). Amongst the other dessert orders - two chocolate mousses, another creme brluee, a poached pear and... another poached pear? It must've been a repeat because there are only 4 dessert choices, one of them being apple pie, and I know that no one had that.

All in all a great night - good food, good wine and most importantly, good company (I'm not just saying this because I know that the organiser of the night reads this blog... bwhahaha). We walked away with our wallets only $75 each lighter, which I think was quite reasonable considering the quality of the food (so... rich...) and the service. The setting was nice too, we were seated outside (but my friend did see a cockroach. Aaaah well, we were in the great outdoors, I don't think this reflects on the cleanliness or otherwise of the restaurant). Recommended.

L'etoile
211 Glenmore Road
Paddington NSW 2021

(02) 9332 1577

Lunch Fridays to Sundays only
Dinner 7 nights a week

Street parking nearby, alternatively buses such as the 389 and 380 stop nearby. A cab from William Street, East Sydney will cost around $10.

You can find menus etc here

the empire of cotton on?

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:22:00 +0000

After spotting Typo at Greenwood Plaza on my recent wanderings around North Sydney, I headed back there today with bag space and carrying capacity. Not too much though, mind you, as that would just be dangerous - in fact I was laden down with 2 packs of snap-closure food storage containers (currently 50% off at Woolworths! Get them along with your 99c cup-a-soups). Couldn't resist this gorgeous pack of labels though for $29.95 (that's only 3c a label! Fantastic value for money. Anything to convince myself that yes, I was completely justified in making that purchase). I wish my workplace would be an appropriate place for using the bulldog clips with swear words on them.

The homewares I saw in Typo remind me a bit of the things I lust over at modcloth, so at least I'm saving on shipping, right? In the meantime, this, this and this will remain firmly entrenched in my wishlist. Not to mention this and this too! (For those out there who actually know me personally and who would be tempted to rush out and buy these things for me, please don't! Knowing my lack of willpower, I will have already purchased all these things by the time you go onto the site. Although having 2 sets of each thing wouldn't be bad... tee hee. I joke. Please don't.)

As I was departing Greenwood, I saw a shoe store called Rubi which had a slogan on the wall that matched a cup that I'd eyed off in Typo - "Shoes make me happy. I'm superficial. Whatever" (not for myself mind you, but one of my workmates actually! Not that she's superficial in a bad way at all! Am I just digging myself into a hole here?) Now that I've got home, it appears that Rubi is yet another offshoot of the juggernaut that is Cotton On.

Also in North Sydney, I spotted a sandwich place called Big Bite on Walker (can't find the exact address, it's near Cibo Espresso which is at 71 Walker Street and on that same side of the road) - is it any relation to Big Bite on Pitt? If so, all you North Sydney office workers, go there now! :) My friend of the Chat Thai deliciousness also tells me that her two favourite places for Hainanese chicken rice are in North Sydney -To's Malaysian Gourmet (3/169 Miller Street) and one in a shop at the food court below 100 Walker Street.

And on that note, here's my first use of my lovely new labels:

All together now - naaaawwwwww!

If you like the labels, you can find a full range of Sukie products here. Sydney readers, I have spotted this before at everyone's favourite mega-bookshop, Kinokuniya (not mega in terms of the number of stores of it around, but in terms of its actual size - I have to say though that I don't like buying books from there because I find it a bit disorganised). Luckily for my wallet, it appears that Chronicle Books doesn't currently ship to Australia (but you can contact their Australia distributor, Hardie Grant Books, to discuss options). I've also just noticed a disclaimer on the little slip of paper that came with the box of labels - "no part of this box may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher." Sukie Ltd, would you really come and pick on little ole me? If so, I will take the photos down. But it'll be your loss really!)

Oooh, stop press! Have just found Australian online source of Sukie goodness :) Plus they offer free shipping for orders of $50! Now I don't have to do battle with the city shopping crowds

recent food obsessions

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:23:00 +0000

cup-a-soup (why must you contain 26% of my daily recommended intake on sodium?)
sourdough bread
vegetable juice (so then I don't have to make the effort of actually cooking vegetables for dinner, right?)
Hokkaido milk loaf from a bakery on Burwood Road, Burwood - as my cousin says it goes well with cup-a-soup. Must make it there to get a loaf before I finish my multiple packets of cup-a-soup (Woolworths, why do you make them 99c a box containing 2 packets? That's just plain evil. My sodium levels are currently through the roof). I've had the loaf before and it is delicious, I'm just not sure how it'd go with cup-a-soup!

balloonaway, broadmeadow (newcastle)

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:11:00 +0000

During high school, there were 2 regular types of gifts given by friends to each other - flowers and balloons. Obviously they are fairly predictable choices for gifts, particularly between teenage girls of limited income, made even more attractive by the high visibility of the gifts as they were carried around by the birthday girl.

The fact that Balloonaway and Belflora were about 10 minutes walk away from our school didn't hurt either.

I rang Balloonaway this morning to arrange a delivery for my friend's engagement party on Saturday. There were a fair few places I found on the internet that don't deliver on Saturdays, so I had my fingers crossed that they would. Michelle who answered the phone was super helpful and recommended a "Engagement bouquet" which could be delivered to the house on Saturday for a flat delivery fee of $20. The bouquet (featuring a Congratulations foil balloon, a collection of "Happy Engagement" balloons - who knew they'd have something so specific - and apparently some other helium balloons) sounds like just what I was looking for (and here's the part I'm hoping my friend doesn't read this blog) and only cost the princely sum of $48. Considering that I was looking at getting a hamper delivered which would cost upwards of $100 (plus they didn't turn out to deliver on Saturdays, but this is actually another Hunter Region service I would recommend as they did a great job with a friend's birthday the other year - Hobby Hampers), I was chuffed.

Hopefully it'll turn out nicely. The part I'm most worried about is how the message will turn out on the card, considering some of these specimens on Cakewrecks.

Balloonaway
100 - 102 Bunker Road
Adamstown NSW 2289

(02) 4969 2244

You can find more information here

chat thai, haymarket

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:16:00 +0000

Fish and chips? A chiko roll? Or an even more cliche take-away?

My friend Z and I met up today for lunch at one of my old haunts, the food court below Woolworths at Park Street. I used to work in a building nearby, and the beef noodles are just as I remember. As is the minimalist setting of what my old workmates used to call the place - "Salmonella City". In all the times I've eaten there, I have to say I've never got sick. Touch wood that that isn't about to change now!

After finishing lunch, my friend said, "let's get dessert!" I responded with predictable enthusiasm, and we started heading towards Mizuya where they have 50c green tea ice cream cones at lunchtimes (at least they did about a month ago, can someone confirm if they still do?) Then, suddenly, my friend said, "what about Chat Thai?"

That girl is a genius.

I've been to Chat Thai once before (after making a booking) and it was very good. So packed though. We tried to go once more (without a booking) and decided not even to try waiting it out. I still remember my soup-based dessert from the first (and until today, only) visit though - utterly delicious. I know one of my regular commenters here (in fact the only commenter!) loves soup-based desserts, but unfortunately for her I can't remember exactly what was in it. Tee hee.

Now, my friend had her heart initially set on some sort of fried dough to be dipped into kaya (coconut jam), which she said she'd thought about getting once before when she was by herself, but had decided it was too big for one person and got an egg tart from Ho's Kitchen Dim Sum instead. This is where I beg to differ from my friend - how can one dessert ever be too big for one person?? :)). But it turned out they only sell those between 10am to 12 noon. We got there at around 1:30pm so had a choice of about 5 different desserts (which change again at 4pm! So make sure you turn up at the right time to get your choice!). It appears that the website menu doesn't include desserts, so I can only give you the number of what we eventually chose - this is the number 2 dessert on the 12 noon to 4pm dessert menu, which was described as some sort of coconut dessert crisped up on a griddle. It cost us $6 for a box of 8 and came packed in the cute little box as above.

"Can you smell it?" my friend asked as we squeezed our way out of the restaurant onto the street. "Mmm, coconut..." I responded. We opened the box up and it struck me that they looked a lot like 雞蛋仔 but slightly larger and in separate pieces. Then we each took one and bit into little pieces of heaven. Imagine smooth, silky coconut cream encased in crispy, crunchy shells of slightly charred goodness.

Only problem?

"Hot! So hot!" We made our way back towards my friend's workplace waving our hands in front of our mouths as the coconut cream scalded our tounges. But it was so worth it. It's good I don't work any closer, otherwise I can imagine ducking out at 10am every morning to get a dessert from the 10am to 12 noon selection, then dropping in again at 12 noon to try something from the 12 noon to 4pm selection, then just after 4pm for something for afternoon tea. Despite the distance, Chat Thai, and your slightly distracted waitstaff (we asked the waitress at the counter about 3 times to place our order... but to their credit as soon as they actually acknowledged it, our order came very quickly), I'll sacrifice my work hour (and my waistline!) for you.

Chat Thai

20 Campbell Street

Haymarket NSW 2000

Also at Galeries Victoria (where chapflap said he once got dessert from, but it wasn't as good as the Haymarket one), Randwick and Manly

You can find more information here, but there don't seem to be dessert menus unfortunately

We saw a sign there that said it was going to be 20% off on Monday 26 April I think because it's their 20 year anniversary. So get prepared for it to be even more packed (if that's even possible?!)

northside produce markets (again), north sydney

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:00:00 +0000

My loot, featuring:

1. Marshmallows from Sweetness the Patisserie ($15). Gena, the owner, was there and lovely and friendly as usual. We actually first discovered Sweetness during a trip to the Rouse Hill Markets (which Gena said no longer run, which is a shame - just like the Cook and Phillip Park markets no longer run! And that was part of the reason I chose to go to where I work at the moment, haha!), then we saw her again at our first trip to the Northside Produce Markets, and then we made a pilgrimage to Epping. So soft, so fruity, so yum! On another note, why not combine a trip to Epping for marshmallows with a visit to Sam's Cafe? We've been there once after chapflap went to the Croydon one ages ago, and it was good fun. Obscure location though!!

2. 2 packs of macadamia nuts from Jelbonleigh Estate ($15 each or $28 for 2). Unfortunately the honey roasted ones turned out to be "best before March 2010" but they still taste alright

3. 2 smoked rainbow trout from Snowy Mountains Trout ($20 altogether). I asked the guy whether they have anything to do with Eucumbene Trout Farm as it's on my list of places to visit (we went trout fishing in Adelaide and had a great time) and he said that they get their trout from there.

4. 1 tub of Over the Moon creme fraiche for making rillettes with ($6)

5. 1 pack of Italian flatbread from Casa Mia Biscotti for eating the rillettes with

6. A pumpkin loaf ($6.50) from La Tartine - one of those delicious breads that you can eat on its own

7. A tayberry pie ($10) from Rowan Farm ((02) 4887 7307) - a tayberry was described to me as "a cross between a raspberry and a boysenberry"

8. 2 punnet of grape tomatoes ($5 altogether or $3 a punnet) from J & S Zammit. I've been known to eat entire punnets of grape tomatoes in one sitting. Yum.

9. 1 small tub of passionfruit and mango yoghurt from Gourmet Goodies (20 Patterson St, Ermington - phone (02 9638 0014) for $4.

The total damage? All the cash I had left in my wallet after a big night featuring Star Bar (where I got ID'd for the first time in ages! Score!), Harts Pub and Greenbox...

On the way home through Greenwood Plaza I spotted a new stationery shop called Typo. It's like kikki.k/smiggle on crack! Bulldog clips featuring swear words (perfect for the office!), acerbic greeting cards and retro clocks. So tempted, but was already struggling to get home with the above loot (plus an additional bottle of wine and 6 pack of beer for a dinner we're going to tomorrow night!) My research now shows that Typo is an offshoot of the Cotton On clothing chain. You can find one (Typo that is, not Cotton on) near you here.

Northside Produce Markets
Held 3rd Sunday of each month
8am to 12 noon
Miller Street (between Ridge and McLaren Streets, near Stanton Library and the Council)
North Sydney NSW 2060

bar 333, city

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:54:00 +0000

Had a triple-decker toasted sandwich tonight (Thursday) with my friend who induces me into eating hot dogs.

I think it was missing that essential club sandwich ingredient which makes them taste so great (and which brings me back to childhood days in HK) - mayonnaise.

I could've stolen some off my friend, who had chips with mayonnaise (which is basically aioli minus the garlic).

Worth popping in though considering its convenient location and $10 cocktails (tonight they had lychee martinis, something with apple, the "Ni How Ma" featuring watermelon and ginger and a passionfruit caprioska, which was very nice) on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Bar 333
333 George Street (near cnr Martin Place)
Sydney NSW 2000

recent happenings

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:11:00 +0000

I've recently re-discovered origami.

I blame it on this acquisition from our last trip to HK. I've been consulting Pangu's source in preparation for further acquisitions during my next trip in August.

Now, I'm working on flowers that you can learn to make too here.

Otherwise, we had this lovely orange and fig cake from Black Star Pastry which I dragged chapflap to after reading this. $36 and utterly delicious, we'll have to head back another time for the watermelon cake and the ginger ninjas. The garden gnome chair featured in NQN's post is also still there. I would recommend taking the train there though as the parking there is a bit hair-raising, with cars parked on both side of very narrow streets so that they are effectively turned into one-way thoroughfares. Definitely worth a visit, both for the sweet treats and the writing on the wall on a wooden fence back from Black Star admonishing passer-bys that it's not a trough.

Black Star Pastry
277 Australia Street (just behind where the Newtown markets are held)
Newtown NSW 2042

(02) 9557 8656

You can possibly find more information here - as of the date of publishing this post the site was still under construction

a tale of two touch screen restaurants

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:18:00 +0000

Poor Mr Dickens must be turning in his grave right now.

One Saturday, I managed to make it to two touch screen restaurants - Takeru, Chatswood and I-Taiwan, Chinatown.

No photos from Takeru but I would highly recommend the bento boxes at the bargain basement price of $12.50. Other popular choices were the curries and pastas (I love Asian-style pasta). The other good thing is it's tucked away in the back corner of Victoria Plaza (next to Chatswood Chase), so it's not as packed as other more prominent eateries around the Chatswood shopping area. By the time we left though, people were writing their names on the queueing sheet commonly featured at popular Japanese eateries (Makoto and Ichi-ban Boshi spring to mind)

That night, we went to the new Taiwanese restaurant in the Chinatown pedestrian mall. I didn't even know what it was called, so told my friend that "it's the restaurant that's painted black outside, next to the CD shop, near the Goulburn Street end of Chinatown". These poor directions inevitably led to my friend calling me and us having one of those hilarious conversations where you're standing in close proximity, talking to each other on the phone -

F: "I'm in front of the Dixon Centre"
V: "Me too! But where? I can't see you?"
F: "ummm, just in the front?"

V and F turn around and it turns out they're within 5 metres of each other, just facing in opposite directions. Cue rolled eyes from chapflap and V's boyfriend.

We only discovered that the restaurant has touch screens upon entering, and that it has an upstairs seating section. The seating was very comfortable, with booths designed for chatting over pearl milk teas and shaved ice desserts. But main meals first, of which I only took one photo:

Mince pork noodles ($8). There are also sliced pork noodles. And lots of other types of soup noodles, in true Taiwanese style. They went down well with a serve of Taiwanese pickles ($4).

When you order the shaved ice dessert, they bring you a little order form to select your toppings. $5.30 for 3 toppings and only 50c more for another one, but I was afraid that my excess dessert consumption would disturb my enjoyment of the Joey Yung concert we were going to that night.

The result of my order - lychee, paw-paw and fig jelly. They put coloured sprinkles on the ice :) It was delish.

V forced (tee hee, ok, "encouraged") her boyfriend to order a hot drink just so we could look at the cute cup that they came in. This was the hot milk tea, which V's boyfriend said was very sweet. Before the meal, we also had various cold drinks which I can't remember now. All I know is that I had the cold milk tea with herbal jelly, having deprived myself of Chatime at Chatswood earlier that day on account of the queue.

I-Taiwan is a good option for catching up with friends and playing with touch screens, particularly if Wagaya is booked out (as it was that night, most likely with fellow Joey fans! Anyone else out there also in attendance? How cool was the Kowloon bus out the front of the Entertainment Centre?)

Takeru
Shop 10, 369 Victoria Avenue (enter through the ground level and walk straight through to the back corner)
Chatswood NSW 2065

(02) 9412 1203

Open 7 days from noon to 7pm

Also in the city, but that didn't feature touch-screens the time we went (about 6 months ago)

I-Taiwan
52 Dixon Street (which is, as I described, next to the CD shop near the Goulburn Street end of the pedestrian mall. Good luck finding it with such directions!)
Haymarket NSW 2000

(02) 9212 2220

Not sure of opening hours

taste baguette on market, city

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:08:00 +0000

I made it to this place after having my weekly massage and I am very glad I did.

The crispy tofu baguette ($6.20 take-away, all baguettes are $1 more for eat-in) was so delicious I devoured it on the way back to my office. Might also have had something to do with my long black consumption this morning. It also explains the lack of photo.

Baguettes are available in white, rye or wholemeal. You can get a plain baguette (as in a proper long one designed for carrying under your arm, not one of the pre-cut ones made for filling) for $4, which I might do next time (I have been known to eat 5 of those airy, fluffy rolls that you can get for $1 from Vietnamese hot bread shops in a single sitting).

They were very quick with my baguette too, which made me very happy indeed. In the words of the (now) Governator, "I'll be back".

Taste Baguette on Market
Corner of George and Market Streets (just in front of the entrance to Myer)
Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9233 7778

Open 7am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, 8:30am-4pm Saturdays

Cash only

They also serve Campos coffee, and I would've had one had I not been so wound up from my long black this morning...

safira verde, east sydney

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:32:00 +0000

My new favourite cafe near my work. This used to be Jan's Cafe, which was a favourite with my boss actually, so I'm not sure if she's been back since it's changed to being Safira Verde (which their website - and google translator - tells me mean means "Green Sapphire"). They serve Campos coffee (mmm...) and delicious sandwiches and cakes (although Sweet Infinity does remain the star around here for all things sweet). Best thing of all, the owner is super nice, and remembers my name even though I try not to go too often (both for the sake of my wallet - not that they're expensive - and moreso for my health! Too much caffeine makes flapflap turn into flappityflappityflappityfllllllazzzzzz).

Safira Verde
63 Crown Street
East Sydney NSW 2011

(02) 9332 4277

You can find more information here, including that the chef used to work at Kawa Cafe, Surry Hills (I haven't been there myself, but some of you foodies out there might know it?)

Here's the menu for reference since it doesn't seem to be available on their website (click to make bigger and hence readable)

While you're in the area, why not check out some of my other East Sydney recommendations? :) (shameless cross-promotion there!) I've got my eye out to try out these places next special occasion (La Brasserie for the custard, strawberry and rhubarb millefeuille, Lanzafame because it replaced Ouzo 88, which always seemed a bit on the quiet side)

blog review: nippon desu ne

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:44:00 +0000

I really, really want to go to Japan. Our first plans were thwarted when I tore my ACL in my first overseas trip to NZ, resulting in an operation that needed time for recovery. Then we considered combining our recent HK trip in December 2009/ January 2010 with a Japan side trip, but I decided it'd be too rushed because I think Japan really deserves a trip on its own. Currently, we're aiming for end of this year. Fingers crossed that it'll finally happen!

In the meantime, I've had to content myself with:

Quirky Japan Blog - as we're currently house hunting, I found this rather amusing. This also prompted a giggle.

Japan Style - this article prompted detailed discussion on my other blog (blatant cross-promotion of blogs! Like product placement, but worse!); and I so used to eat this in my younger years until I heard about salmonella. And why doesn't Haagen-Daza in Australia have these flavours?

Japan Probe - a fairly video heavy blog, which makes it less work hours friendly, but my work IT records will reveal that I couldn't resist clicking on this and this.

Happily, I have managed to visit Sydney's very own 100 yen shop, which is actually located conveniently close to the place of lovely relaxation, aka the place where I get my massages. Unfortunately though the Japanese supermarket in its basement does not stock umeshu, which is what I was after at the time (it doesn't stock any sort of alcohol).

kakawa chocolates, east sydney

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:31:00 +0000

A return trip to Kakawa for mango and passionfruit pralines, as well as green tea. Mmmm....

A gift box for chapflap. Apparently the macadmias and meringues from last time were a big hit with his colleagues. From left to right, he's getting a mango and passionfruit, a green tea, a bluberry and yoghurt (I'd be intrigued to find out what this tastes like!) and a raspberry. The blueberry and yoghurt and raspberry pralines are milk chocolate.

A gift box for me :) From left to right, mango and passionfruit, green tea, thai basil and lychee. Both the thai basil and lychee are in dark chocolate, otherwise I would've got the lychee for chapflap as well.

I've just had part of the thai basil one (I confess it was because I didn't remember what the 3rd one was that I chose!) and it is divine. Gift boxes of 4 pralines are $8 each, otherwise you can get pralines individually (unboxed) for $1.80. The people there are lovely, and I read a SMH clipping that was in the front window which describes who they are.

Jin Sun slipped me a bonus peanut butter treat in the bag for me as well, which was delicious. The next time I'm back (which I inevitable will be... so close to my office, and so yum!) I've got my eyes set on the salted caramel praline, after still having lingering memories of the salted caramels at Rockpool (even though I went there for a work Christmas lunch... what, 2 years ago now?).

Kakawa reminds me a bit of Boon Chocolates - it'd be dangerous though if they too had a seating area for drinking hot chocolates, because I mightn't end up spending much time in the office during winter. I'd really like to see boutique chocolate places like these succeed, because it's obvious that they're really passionate about their product and work their butts off to deliver.

Kakawa Chocolates

147 William Street

East Sydney NSW 2011

(02) 9331 8818

Open Mondays to Saturdays

You can find more information here

nsw school of massage student massages, city

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:46:00 +0000

My work friend (the same one who inspired an insatiable Harry's Hot Dog craving the other day) put me onto this beauty service a couple of weeks ago and I've become hooked. For $30 ($25 for your first time), you can have an hour's massage from a student who is supervised. Sure, it's in a room with about 10 other people, but I actually find I personally prefer that to the whole one-on-one massage experience (in which I inevitably start thinking, "should I start talking? Will he/ she initiates a conversation?") And they're very good with the towel maneuvering to ensure no awkward flashing occurs (although the room is nicely darkened, and soft soothing music plays in the background).

Student massages are currently available on Thursday mornings from 10am to 1:30pm and on Saturdays. It's in a good location too for popping out to during work hours if your boss happens to be working from home, plus you feel as though you're helping the students out tin a way. The quality of the massage has varied a little bit (as in they've all been good, just some better than others), but for $30, I'm not complaining!

NSW School of Massage
Level 1, 225 Clarence Street (closest cross-road is Market Street)
Sydney NSW 2000

Bookings essential (they only bring in as many students as bookings) on (02) 9262 2654

You can get more information here

david jones nail bar, city

noreply@blogger.com (flapflap) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:36:00 +0000

I'm a relatively late newcomer to the whole beauty services scene. While some girls seem to have grown up with regular salon treatments, nail appointments and be on first name bases with their masseurs, I've only recently discovered the delights of primping and pampering. I've only ever had one professional manicure prior to this experience, and that was with friends during a holiday at a salon that I'd probably never get the chance to go back to. I've decided that it's time to start become a little more polished in my image - as much as I'd like to, I probably can't keep rocking up in thongs to work (for any American readers, that's thongs as in the footwear), having only barely managed to brush my hair and teeth.

I scoured my favourite source of info in relation to all things girly and didn't find a whole lot of recommendations for manicurists in the city. I was particularly looking for somewhere clean, having heard horror stories about re-used tools and infections (argh!) David Jones at Elizabeth Street seemed to fit the bill, being a 10 minute walk from my office and open until 6pm on weeknights (9pm Thursdays and Fridays). I called in the morning and booked for 5:30pm for the same day (being a Monday though, so maybe less busy than other days). So far, so good.

When I arrived the manicurist told me to pick a colour from the vast array of polishes lined up on the wall. I had no idea whatsoever - just wanted something relatively light so it wouldn't be so obvious when it inevitably chipped! So she chose for me and it was fine - the whole thing took about 20 minutes; she chatted to the other manicurists for most of the time which was great by me because I just wanted to zone out after a hard day's work (cough). The result? Shiny shiny nails that apparently will last at least a week. Hopefully a $30 well spent.

David Jones Nail Bar
Basement, corner Elizabeth and Market Streets
Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9266 5424

Appointments recommended

Price list: