Adriano Zumbo, Balmain

I think I'm in love.I've been a late arrival to the Adriano Zumbo online party, he the cherished darling of swooning sweet-toothed food bloggers all over Sydney. It doesn't take long for me to fall head over heels myself.This small but amazing patissierie is housed in a narrow shop on Darling Street, a few cellophaned gingerbread houses greeting you at the entrance. Barely wide enough to fit two

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar, Bondi Junction

So even though we'd just eaten half our body weight in ribs at Kelly's next door, it would have been impossible to head home without a pit stop at Max Brenner for dessert.Feeling a little bloated, we did somewhat virtuously agree to "go for a little walk" before dessert. In reality this meant a short stroll down to a dead end, use of a lift to descend a few floors, then a slow meander around the

Top 10, my friend

So yes we all know that Top 10 lists are, by their nature, extremely subjective and open for debate, but hey, I don't think I'm going to knock back getting mentioned in the Times Online list of Top ten food blogs from around the world.I met up with Simon Majumdar in May 2007 when he visited Sydney as part of his gastronomic world tour of research for his upcoming book, Eat My Globe. We had

Kelly's Bar and Grill, Bondi Junction

Pork ribs regular $27.95You're either a ribs person, or you ain't. I know which one I am.What greater pleasure than holding a rib bone with both hands and tearing shreds of succulent char-grilled meat off with your teeth. With a few grunts, sighs and surreptitious licking of lips, it's the closest anyone of us gets to impersonating Nigella.Complimentary briocheWe headed to Kelly's at Bondi

Sushi Tengoku, Kensington

Sashimi moriawase $26Mixed raw fillets of seafood (18 pieces)Read any online review of Sushi Tengoku and the words GIANT SUSHI are sure to feature.With a reputation for being incredibly popular with locals, especially nearby uni students, we're glad we've made a booking, although it's not too busy on a Wednesday night. The restaurant is small and unassuming, nestled between a dry cleaners and a

Restaurant Blancmange, Petersham

Tucked away on a small street off busy Parramatta Road lies the unassuming Restaurant Blancmange, former site of Manna. It's so discreet that I'm struck by the lack of on-street signage, a cursive script above the door providing the only indication a restaurant lies behind the striped blue canopies and sheer white curtains.And so it's the little details in this restaurant that impress me most.

A week of birthday cake

It's been a busy week. And whilst birthdays don't seem to have quite the same appeal as when you're say, ten years old, the prospect of cake and a week of birthday dinners more than eases the psychological trauma.Sushi with the travelling dinner party crowd (now christened Stomachs Eleven) was followed by the cutest chocolate mud cake from Michel's Patisserie. Sliced carefully into six pieces,

Homemade char siu, Hainan chicken and green tea cake

Did you know that giant paperclips make great meat hooks?I didn't either, but it truly does work. And no, I don't normally make my own char siu but when it's your turn to host the travelling dinner party gang (with high standards set so far) there's an element of self-imposed pressure to feed them well.I spent days planning the menu - any excuse is a good one if it justifies reading cookbooks at

Bill Granger's ricotta hotcakes

Half a tub of leftover ricotta in the fridge provides a perfect excuse to whip up a batch of Bill Granger's famous ricotta hotcakes. Light, soft and incredibly fluffy, it really does make a difference when you beat the egg whites separately and fold them into the batter oh-so-very gently.Surprise pockets of ricotta are the best part about these hotcakes. If you fold them in at the very last

Lindt Chocolat Café, Darling Harbour

Chocolat cerise $11.50Lindt's own black forest cake, crafted using kirsch-infused cherries,rich dark chocolate cake and vanilla cream,encased with a dark chocolate glazeThe best thing about the new influx of chocolat cafes is that finally, finally, Sydneysiders have late-night options to satiate their sweet tooths.The regular nighttime crowds at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Darling Harbour's Cockle

The Australian Heritage Hotel, The Rocks, Sydney

Beer and pizza. What better way to spend a weekend.A catch-up with an interstate visitor means showcasing the best that Sydney has to offer. For a lazy lunch with a good selection of local beers, we headed to the historic Australian Heritage Hotel at The Rocks.The Mexican was put onto Little Creatures Pale Ale. I was on a newly available beer on tap, Sydney Rocks Brewery’s Red Ale.Moroccan lamb

Chinese Herbal King Seafood Restaurant, Ultimo

I've been surrounded by so many waitstaff.We head to Chinese Herbal King Seafood Restaurant on a lazy Sunday for lunch, keen to sample this new shiny addition to Wattle Street and to discover what lies behind the giant neon signage.The answer, it appears, is an army of waitstaff. Whilst I count about 18 people in the restaurant during our lunch, there are nine eager waitstaff milling within

allrecipes.com.au media launch

It seemed like a mini food blogger convention at the media launch for allrecipes.com.au, sister site to the American allrecipes.com. There were as many foodbloggers as there were print journalists, a rare thing to see. Perhaps it was because the launch involved a website; perhaps it was because an American company was involved; but it was a welcome change to see foodblogs and foodbloggers

Chocolate brownies

Brownies are fantastic comfort food. Sugary crust, dense squidgy insides, and those delightful encounters with crunchy walnut pieces, their slight bitterness offsetting the rich goodness of butter and chocolate.Brownies also make perfect dinner party desserts given that they can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until the big night. I made these recently for friends,

Sanctuary Hotel, Sydney

There's nothing like a good steak sandwich.The Sanctuary, sister establisment to the St James Hotel and on the site formerley occupied by Don Quixote, is one of our new lunchtime favourites. Decor and furnishings are strikingly similar to St James, in a style described on the Sanctuary website as "cosmopolitan chic". Pressed metal finishes, quirky lamp chandeliers and a colour scheme of creams