Sydney New Year's Eve Fireworks

Welcome to 2011! It's hard to believe that another year has come has gone. Writing Grab Your Fork has been a huge part of it, and I'm grateful for the friendships I've made, the comments I've received, the opportunities I've been given, and the readers (yes you!) who stop by everyday.In 2010 I published a total of 224 posts, all written after I've clocked off from my day job - I've yet to find a

Easy canapes: Seared scallops

Can you believe it's the end of another decade? It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming in the noughties.Tonight you'll find me around Sydney Harbour with 1.5 million of my closest friends. I've spent New Years Eve in New York Times Square and on London's Westminster Bridge beneath Big Ben, but I still rate the fireworks spectacular around Sydney Harbour as the best NYE party in the

The Flute Bakery, Fyshwick Canberra

The Flute Bakery is in the last possible place you'd expect to find it. Tucked down a barren street lined with industrial estates in Fyshwick, it appears like a shimmering mirage of gustatory salvation.

Even then, the canvas awnings and outdoor seating reveal little of what lays within. We push open the door to find an elegant French patisserie, pies and quiches in the warmer, a gleaming glass

Silo Bakery, Kingston, Canberra

I'm not a morning person, but if there's one thing that I will wake up early for, it's food. Work took me Canberra a couple of months ago (hello backlog), and if there was one place I was determined to visit it was Silo Bakery. It was surprisingly easy to convince my office colleagues to join me on post-work eating adventures - 'so where are we eating tonight, Helen?' they'd ask.It was even

Hugos Bar Pizza, Kings Cross

"Pizza?" Peter Evans asks, as he wends his way through the crowd at the launch of the Hugos Bar Pizza new private dining room."It's potato and lardo," he says, gesturing toward the thin crust pizza in his hand. "Basically it's potato and fat," he explains to those with blank expressions on their faces.Potato and fat? Potato and fat? I would have called it potato and deliciousness. Potato and

Easy entertaining: Holiday wreath bread

How was your Christmas? Mine was filled with ham, turkey, gravlax, pavlova, fruit cake and more. It was a weekend of feasting, but as Master Six intoned to me solemnly on Christmas morning, "Christmas is not about presents. It's about spending time with your family."And so there was eating and drinking, and then jumping on the trampoline and playing Snap with the kids. Everyone brought a dish for

Stomachs Eleven: Christmas dinner

Christmas? It's about the three F's - food, family and friends. What's even better is when you are able to combine all three.Over the past two years, our dinner party group Stomachs Eleven has taken turns to host a homemade meal, and these days our circle of friends has become more like a family. Someone's usually running late, the early birds will pitch in with last minute prep, and there's

Charlie & Co Burgers, Westfield Sydney

Parmesan and truffle fries $8Everybody's talking about them. The parmesan and truffle fries at Justin North's burger joint Charlie & Co. have created a new obsession for hungry Sydneysiders.The frantic crowds that swarmed Westfield Sydney when it first opened have now thankfully dissipated. We found no crowds when we visited midweek at 6pm, although the last-minute Christmas rush and Boxing Day

Bodalla, Tuross Head and The Big Cheese: South Coast NSW

Who doesn't love a country fair?After a leisurely morning at the Moruya Markets on the South Coast, we pulled into Bodalla (population 308 according to the 2006 census) just after midday.Bodalla police stationThe town of Bodalla began when Thomas Sutcliffe Mort purchased 13,000 acres of land in the area in 1860. Mort was determined to create a dairy estate, eventually supplying fresh milk,

Duke Bistro, Darlinghurst

EDIT: Duke Bistro has closed.

The only bore you'll find at Duke Bistro is propped up at the bar, a boar's head sitting on a stool with a bottle of sriracha chilli sauce gripped in his teeth.

It's an odd sight at first, but one that underlines the devil-may-care cheekiness of this cosy bistro perched on top of the Flinders Hotel.


Duke Bistro dining room

Young guns Thomas Lim (

Malacca Straits, Broadway Ultimo

I like cereal for breakfast, for supper, and as a snack, but the best kind of cereal is served on prawns - Singapore style.

Cereal prawns is a dish not often found in Sydney, and it is only as we exit Malacca Straits that I notice this dish on the specials menu taped to the wall. Here too I find salted egg yolk prawn. I vow immediately to return. On my next visit I see the sign for assam

Daruma Japanese Restaurant, Haymarket Chinatown

Teriyaki chicken udon set $9.50I have to admit it. Japanese food is my weakness. Steaming bowls of ramen, quivering fresh sashimi, the sticky sweetness of sushi rice and fat chewy strands of udon. Japanese cuisine is all about simplicity and satisfaction, presented with the visual beauty of an inspired artist.Age gyoza $4.50Daruma Japanese Restaurant in the Prince Centre is busy with students and

Happy Lemon, Broadway

Green tea with rock salt and cheese. Who could refuse?Happy Lemon is the latest drinks chain to hit Australian shores, a Hong Kong company that started in 2006 and has since spread to over 100 stores across Hong Kong and China.It's easy to get swept up in the cartoon chirpiness of the place, a dizzying entrapment of winking characters, video game-like footage on the TV screen and walls that

On The Pier, Batemans Bay and Moruya Markets

Our South Coast mini-break was a happy mix of sights, from Wollongong's Nan Tien Temple to Berry's Famous Donut Van. We continued down the Princes Highway to Batemans Bay, a four hours journey if travelling straight from Sydney.It's amazing how fast one can metabolise donuts and meat pies and parfait and passionfruit slice. We were booked in for dinner at On The Pier, tucked away on the side of

Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Picnic

Strawberry Santas by Ayana from Absolutely AyanaIt was a spectacular day for a picnic on Saturday, a backdrop of clear blue skies and dappled sunshine for the second annual Sydney Food Bloggers Christmas Picnic co-hosted by Chocolatesuze and I.Over sixty food bloggers descended on Centennial Park, a chance for everyone to meet new faces, mingle and, most importantly, eat.Christmas puddings by

Bavarian Bier Cafe O'Connell, Sydney

So what are you having?I have a confession to make. If I happen to ask you this question, there are usually hidden agendas at stake.Sometimes the planets will align and Suze will look at me and say "I can't decide between the pork belly and the pork knuckle", and I will reply with those three magic words "Should we share?"And happiness and relief will blanket us both.Freshly baked Bavarian

Freebie Friday: Win a $100 gift voucher from Audrey & Marco online delicatessen

Do you tend to go Christmas shopping but then find yourself only buying presents for yourself?

Hey, I agree. You're worth it! And this week's Freebie Friday is the perfect prize for you!

You'll be able to shop to your heart's (and stomach's!) content with a $100 gift voucher from Audrey & Marco, the newly launched Australian online delicatessen with products from all over Europe. There are

Kazbah, Balmain - Breakfast Banquet

Pace yourself.These are the two key words you must hold onto when you sit down to the breakfast feast at Kazbah.Kazbah on DarlingThe breakfast feast is not to be bandied about lightly. This is a meal of such epic proportions you should plan at least a week ahead, stretching your stomach with water as though you were a competitor in a Major League Eating competition.A set minimum of six people for

The Famous Berry Donut Van and a food tour of Berry

Mention the quaint town of Berry and I think of donuts.Not just any donut, but the Famous Berry Donut Van.The Famous Berry Donut VanThe Famous Berry Donut Van has been trading in Berry for sixty years, the old van recently given a new lick of paint and fancy colour scheme in mocha and chocolate browns.What hasn't changed is the donuts. Cooked to order and cooked by hand, they claim to have "never

Hijazi's Falafel, Arncliffe

Eating out for breakfast doesn't have to be expensive. I followed up a tip from Grab Your Fork reader Yvette and headed to Hijazi's in Arncliffe for this month's Time Out Sydney column. You could eat yourself into a stupor here and find yourself only paying about $10 for the privilege.


Hijazi's, Arncliffe

WHAT IS HIJAZI'S?
A Lebanese takeaway and restaurant that is famous for its crunchy

Nan Tien Temple and a food tour of Wollongong

Sometimes a little peace and quiet is just what the mind and body needs.Last weekend I took off for a famil of the South Coast, hosted by Tourism Wollongong and Eurobodalla Coast Tourism. It had been ages since I'd headed down the coast, nothing but distant memories of family holidays from childhood - fish and chips at the beach, digging sandcastles and peeling sticky limbs from the melting

Roll Plus, Haymarket Chinatown Sydney

I can always eat.Is it Asian genetics that enables, nay, insists my gullet to seek out substantial meals three times a day? Forget the flimsy sandwich for lunch, or insipid salad for dinner. When I pay for a meal, I want carbs! And protein! And vegetables! And carbs!Gyoza $7The Extra and I find ourselves at Roll Plus for lunch, a small Japanese eatery tucked in along the northern end of Dixon

Black chicken soup, turtle stew and a wedding

"I ordered a few special things for dinner," our host in the Philippines said with a knowing wink.He wasn't kidding. A farewell meal to mark the end of our visit to Manila was a banquet like no other. My penchant for food blogging had not gone unnoticed, and our kind hosts seemed to take great pleasure in creating a menu I was unlikely to forget in a hurry.Live prawns marinating in rice wineWe'd

Supermarkets, ensaymada and Arce Dairy ice cream - Manila, Phiippines

Food courts. And supermarkets. Is it odd that these were my top two touristing highlights in Manila?JeepneyAdmittedly I'd wanted to ride on a jeepney, but with our hotel within walking distance of Greenhills Shopping Centre in San Juan, there was no need for a jeepney.SecurityI'd been pre-warned about the presence of armed security at shopping centres in Manila. At every public entrance, security

Hello! Kyochon Chatswood

EDIT: Hello! Kyochon is now closed

Fried chicken is my weakness.

Is there anything more magical than crunching through a layer of golden batter and sinking your teeth into sweet and juicy chicken?


Complimentary cabbage salad

An impromptu dinner is no excuse to contend with the tried and tested. I could barely type 'yes' fast enough when fried chicken was mentioned in the lazy tic-tac of

Luxe Bakery Cafe, Newtown

Ham and cheese crossiantMan cannot live by bread alone, they say, but maybe they haven't yet been to Luxe. Bright, airy and ever popular, Luxe Bakery Cafe is not quite when you expect when you step through the doors of this former five bedroom cottage. Co-owners Jonathan Harvey, Simon Cancio and Tony Leibowitz gutted the building to create this buzzy cafe packed with loaves of fresh sourdough

Food courts in the Philippines

Forget about sightseeing - the only thing I want photograph when I travel is food.A trip to Manila for a wedding offered limited free time and we ended up spending much of it shopping. Even then, I found myself continually gravitating toward the sights and smells of the food court.Kusina ni GraciaFood courts. What's not to love?We ended up shopping at the SM Mall of Asia, the fourth largest

Teochew dinner: Stomachs Eleven

Good food should always be shared.This is the philosophy behind the group of friends I've been so lucky to have been a part of, over the years. We came up with the name Stomachs Eleven, for this is the focus of all our gatherings - an emphasis on good food which we share with each, rotating from one kitchen to the next as we each take turns to host a dinner.There is little doubt over whose house

Signorelli Gastronomia, Pyrmont

Let there be pig.It was my birthday last week and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with a whole porchetta.I'd spied this dish on my last visit to Signorelli Gastronomia and had vowed to return. The pig, I swore, would be mine someday.I can't think of a better way to celebrate a birthday than with dear friends and good food.Seared tuna with orangeWe started with an amuse bouche

Freebie Friday: Win a box of Christmas cupcakes from Sparkle Cupcakery

Can you believe it's only five weeks til Christmas? Argh. Where did the year go?The key to maintaining your sanity during the mad countdown to Christmas? A cup of tea. And a cupcake. Yes, this week's Freebie Friday is a box of treats from Sparkle Cupcakery!THE PRIZE:Three lucky readers will win one half-dozen box of Christmas cupcakes containing:chocolate and peppermint cupcakes with crushed

Lechon, Jollibee and sizzling sisig - Manila, Philippines

I'm back!Those of you following me on Twitter or Facebook will know that I was in the Philippines for the past week for a wedding.Recycling bins at Singapore Changi airportIt was a whirlwind trip of six days, and two of those days were chewed up by travelling. We flew to Manila via Singapore, a brief layover preventing us from checking out the giant slides at Changi Airport.The giant slide at

Chat Thai, Haymarket Chinatown

Join the queue.It's part of the ritual of eating at Chat Thai - joining the constant huddle of hungry people spilling out the doorway and onto the footpath, a torn strip of paper clutched tightly in one hand.Watching the chefs work in the front kitchen is like a pre-dinner theatre show - a ladle of coconut soup here, a sizzle of skewers there, and the dull thud of a pestle on mortar as a som tum

Single Origin Roasters, Surry Hills

It's like watching live theatre.The modest eat-in area at Single Origin Cafe is full when we stop by for lunch, and we are motioned to wait on the row of stools in the alley across from the cafe. We sit there patiently with menus, watching the bustle of locals drinking coffee, eating lunch and soaking up the sun - it almost seems a shame when we're summoned over with a friendly wave when a table

Tan Viet Noodle House, Cabramatta

There is only one dish you need to order at Tan Viet: crispy chicken.At 11.45am on a Sunday, the queue outside this Cabramatta favourite is already forming. By the time 12.15pm rolls around, hungry diners have formed a line that would rival any yum cha queue.Today Richard and I are eating our way around this vibrant suburb with neighbourhood local, Phuoc. The dining room has the same energy of

Spicy Panda, Haymarket Chinatown

Signature stew of diced rabbit with cucumber $28You're eating what?!There's a cheeky smile in my voice when I tell a work colleague I'm off to have Spicy Panda for dinner. It's not literal of course - just the name of the restaurant, but its quirky name means it's easily remembered, a novelty when it comes to the usual roll call of Chinese restaurant names.Jelly fish with cucumber in garlic sauce

Blue Plate Grill, Neutral Bay

You won't eat a hot dog in a fancier restaurant.We arrive at Blue Plate Grill to find a dining room much fancier than its American menu would suggest, with curved booth seating along one wall, a Roman column in the middle, and a spectacular chandelier above the bar.We are a group of seven tonight, and immediately agree to share a mix of dishes for entree.Deep dish pizza $16 for halfThe deep dish

Yummy Chinese BBQ, Haymarket Chinatown

Oops, I did it again.I often say that I'm too old for buffets. Those university days of maximum value on student budgets are far behind me now, I say. And yet, still, the offer of the all-you-can-eat bounty will still draw me in at the weakest of moments.BuffetAdmittedly we'd been drawn to Yummy Chinese BBQ in search of the rotating skewer buffet I'd enjoyed at its sister restaurant in Ashfield.

District Dining, Surry Hills

EDIT: District Dining has closed

It's a sardine tin!

Words cannot describe my giddy excitement when I spot the sardine tin with "District Dining" printed on the sticker on its side. It's the kind of excitement reminiscent of your six-year-old self on Christmas morning, a sense of wonderment and joy that greets the arrival of each dish during our weekend lunch at District Dining.



District

Freebie Friday: Win a gold double pass to MasterChef Live worth $140

Poh-lercoaster. Invention Test. Kiddie mafia. Bags of flavour.MasterChef Australia has generated more expressions than you can poke seven lucky skewers at.Now fans can revel in MasterChef Live, a premiere event that will see judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston unite with celebrity chefs and former contestants in a three-day festival of cooking demonstrations at the Hordern

La Paula, Fairfield

There's a surreal moment when you first step inside La Paula. Its bare shopfront gives no indication of the colour and vibrance within. I headed here for this month's Time Out Sydney column, and as we sat on plastic chairs in a dining room filled with gaudy streamers and Chilean flags, sinking our teeth into warm empanadas and lomitos, I almost convinced myself I was somewhere in Santiago, and

Bentley Restaurant, Surry Hills

Do you know lemonpi?I was always amazed by the incredibly crafted and exquisitely plated desserts by Y until eventually she revealed she was a qualified pastry chef, patient enough to invest time on her food blog even after early starts and long shifts in the kitchen.Unfortunately I never managed to make it to Sepia during her stint there, but we do catch her in her final week working at

Charlie & Co Burgers, Westfield Sydney

After two years of construction, the $1.2 billion Westfield Sydney redevelopment is finally open. I joined the throng of crowds on its opening day last Thursday, but found most of the food court besieged by curious, hungry and patient office workers. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to see the new development in much more relaxed style, hosted by Westfield on a special tour for media.Charlie & Co

Aperitivo, Leichhardt

Oh how Leichhardt has changed. No longer dominated by family-run Italian bistros, you'll now find a happy mix of Thai, Japanese and Chinese restaurants offering alternatives to pizza, pasta and gelato.Leichhardt still maintains its Italian roots, although newer restaurants look a little more upscale these days. Aperitivo is a rather flashy wine bar and restaurant addition to the strip, opening

Yummy Chinese BBQ, Ashfield

Rotating food is fun.I'm sure this is why sushi trains offer so much appeal. A mesmerising rhythm of food on the move. Like pigs on spits. And now, behold, the spinning skewer.We'd come prepared tonight. Stomachs hungry and any jackets left in the car before we step into the smoky confines of Yummy Chinese BBQ, a temple of all-you-can-eat feasting in Ashfield, in Sydney's inner west.The thick fog

Freebie Friday: Win a Braun Multiquick Cordless

Are you looking for an incentive to get back into the kitchen?New gadgets always get me excited about cooking again, especially those that involve speed and power. This week's Freebie Friday is the new Braun Multiquick Cordless, a rechargeable hand blender that allows you to chop, crush and puree without being tethered to a power outlet.THE PRIZE:One lucky reader will win a Braun Multiquick

Fresh tofu and soy milk at Nhu Quynh, Yagoona

Fresh soy milk.It's the keen eyes of Speedy who spots it first, a nondescript shopfront but for the 6-foot tall raft of empty polyurethane bottles stacked by the door.We have only just emerged from Rodriguez Brothers a few doors up, laden down with fresh chorizo and morcilla blood sausage and white anchovies and more, but we take one look at each other, grin and step through the door.Fried tofu $

Boteco, Surry Hills

Classic caiprinha $15 and melancia and flor de laranjeira watermelon and orange blossom caipifrutas $16Cocktails? Yes please.Tonight we're at Boteco, a name given to the small bars commonly found in Brazil. These neighbourhood hangouts are filled with locals after work or on weekends, a casual spot to enjoy an ice cold beer and eat cheap and cheerful snacks known as petiscos.BotecoBoteco in

My's Vietnamese Restaurant, Canberra

"The best part of the apple is definitely eating the core."There's a slight pause in conversation as I allow this piece of information to sink in. Across the table, Hannah looks at me in earnest, unblinking."You. eat. the. seeds" I clarify."Well it started out of laziness, because I couldn't be bothered finding a bin, but now it's my favourite part," she says, nodding eagerly.It's not the first

Molecular Gastronomy at Chef's Armoury, Rosebery

"I've got the perfect book for this," says Leigh Hudson at Chef's Armoury.It seems highly appropriate that The Big Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal is used to depress the plungers of nine loaded syringes in a molecular gastronomy cooking demonstration called Tokyo Food Trends held for SIFF.Loading the syringe with red capsicum pureeTonight Pig Flyin' and I are guests at the preview class of

Tomislav, Darlinghurst

A friend of mine loved desserts so much he decided to have three courses of desserts at a fine dining restaurant, whilst everyone else went with the usual entree, main and sweets.The hardest thing, he said, was deciding the order in which to have his desserts. Start with fruity and end with rich, or save the fruit desserts as a final palate cleanser?Tomislav Martinovic has come up with an even

Freebie Friday: Win a Mexican/Spanish spice kit

Can you smell that? It's the promise of summer only just around the corner!What does summer smell like? To me it smells of sunscreen, ripe mangoes, and of course the good ol' Aussie backyard barbecue.You'll be able to add some pizazz to your next barbecue with this week's Freebie Friday prize - a Mexican/Spanish BBQ kit from Le' Spice. Rub the Mexican seasoning into your favourite meats, use the

Fidel's Cafe, Wellington

Forget smoking. Cool kids pack their knitting needles when they meet friends for coffee.

This is the sight that greets Billy and I when we stumble into the courtyard of Fidel's Cafe on our recent trip to Wellington, New Zealand. We'd been about to leave when we couldn't find a seat inside, until we notice someone coming in from the back. We follow the path to find a sunny courtyard that looks

Rodriguez Brothers, Yagoona

The smell of lust.I'm convinced that scientific analysis will tell you it smells just like jamon, the same wave of salty porcine pungency that hits me when I push open the door to Rodriguez Brothers.If the smell doesn't make you weak at the knees, the sight of over 100 hanging legs of jamon will, the repetitive rows stretching off into the distance like a gourmand's mirage.I stand there for a

Red Chilli Sichuan, Chatswood

It's so cute! Pork and cucumber! On a miniature clothesline!It's the first thing that catches my eye when we make it up the stairs and onto the landing of Red Chilli Sichuan in Chatswood. Despite our booking, we're told to wait for a table to clear, joining the throng of families who stand three-deep on the balcony. Everyone, it seems, has a booking, and it feels more like the cattle call on a

Ipoh chicken and bean sprouts and Ipoh Night Market, Malaysia

Just another day in Ipoh.

There was no question as to what would be our first dinner in Billy's hometown. Chicken and bean sprouts are the pride of Ipoh, Malaysia, and we headed to the locals' favourite, Restoran Lou Wong Tauge Ayam Kuetiau.

Restoran Lou Wong Tauge Ayam Kuetiau



I can still remember that warm and muggy evening, the plastic stools sticking to the backs of our thighs as we

Le Monde, Surry Hills

Decisions.Deciding what to eat is never an easy task in my book. I always end up loitering over the menu, scrutinising each option with considered thoughtfulness, hoping against hope to find the perfect meal.There is much to deliberate over at Le Monde, a hip and light-filled Surry Hills cafe where patrons dine with oversized sunglasses and the barista's arm is covered in tattoos.I love the menu

Marcus Wareing, Tetsuya Wakuda and Peter Gilmore at the World Chef Showcase 2010

"Cooking is giving," says Tetsuya Wakuda during his presentation at the World Chef Showcase. Perhaps this is why he looks so earnest and eager-to-please.The Contemporary Creative session featuring Tetsuya Wakuda, Peter Gilmore and Marcus Wareing was the first to sell-out, we're told. All three have internationally-acclaimed restaurants, yet despite their fierce culinary reputations, all are

Freebie Friday: Win a four-pack of Endeavour True Vintage Beer

Can a beer be crafted and cellared as carefully as a bottle of wine?Three mates sitting in a Sydney pub one day thought so, and Endeavour True Vintage Beer was born.These unique ales are created to a different recipe each year, factoring in the variation in barley and hops obtained from the annual harvest. Chief brewer, Andy Stewart, who has 13 years' experience in viticulture, approaches each

Kungfu Ramen, Haymarket Chinatown

Kungfu ramen? It makes me want to karate chop the air at the thought.We happen upon this new noodle house on a recent walk through Chinatown. Gone is the former Vietnamese pho restaurant Xic Lo next to the Dong Nam Asian grocery store. In its place is Kungfu Ramen.Making hand-pulled noodles in the kitchenThe menu promises "Secret Recipe Hand-Pulled Noodles" and as we take our seats in the mostly

Malaysian Food Festival at the Grace Hotel, Sydney

Malaysia. Truly Asia.The current Malaysia tourism campaign echoes the unique diversity of its cuisine. Spiced, fresh, fried or barbecued, the dishes of Malaysia include influences from Indonesia, China, India and Thai.On my first trip to Malaysia this year, I found it glorious to feast on Malay-style ayam goreng fried chicken for breakfast, Hainanese chicken for lunch, Nyonya assam laksa for

Sizzling Fillo, Lidcombe

The October issue of Time Out Sydney is now out with my latest Food & Drink column highlighting Sizzling Fillo in Lidcombe.

As vocal fans of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations pointed out, Filipino cuisine seems to often be overlooked and under-appreciated on the international dining scene. There are not many Filipino restaurants in Sydney, but they do exist and are worth visiting,

Bacon and salted caramel slice for the Sydney Food Bloggers' Mad Hatter Spring Picnic

Food bloggers. We like to eat.A swarm of about 40 Sydney food bloggers converged on Centennial Park over the weekend, a Mat Hatter spring picnic organised by Billy (pictured above) and Karen.Broccoli and cheese muffins by Minh of Eat, Show and TellWe feasted on a bounty of good food of course, although the prominence of sweet tooths in the crowd meant that desserts outweighed savouries on a ratio

2010 Vin de Champagne Awards at Becasse, Sydney

Champagne. Who doesn't love a glass of bubbles?I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2010 Vin de Champagne awards, a search for the best Champagne palates in Australia. The black tie event commenced with canapes at Le Grande Cafe followed by a six-course dinner at Becasse matched with thirteen incredible Champagnes.Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002The Vin de Champagne awards take place

Freebie Friday: Win a copy of the India Cookbook

So you know how to put together a stir-fry and a simple pasta dish, but does the thought of cooking Indian still fall in the "too hard" basket?The India Cookbook is predicted to do for Indian cuisine what The Silver Spoon achieved for Italian cuisine - provide a comprehensive guide that runs through all the basics and provide a well-laid out resource of classic recipes.The book has been divided

Etch, Sydney

There's nothing like a sense of humour in the bathroom.Female patrons at Etch push open the bathroom door to find themselves face to face with an undressed female mannequin. Step through the antechember and you'll find the rear view of another nude mannequin, her buttocks majestically illuminated.Angel-winged mannequinBy the sinks of course, is the angel-winged mannequin I remember so fondly from

Crazy Wings, Chinatown Sydney

"Crazy wings? Ooh yes," Billy said with a smile. "Let's eat here."



Insert the word 'crazy in front of something, and surely knee-slapping mad-cap hilarity is guaranteed?

We've stopped in at Crazy Wings for a late night feed, and as we run through the menu that lists crazy wings, crazy lamb, crazy kidney, crazy ox tongue, crazy seafood, crazy vege, crazy snack, crazy soup... I can feel my

Cabramatta Allsorts Barbecue - Crave Sydney International Food Festival

Cabramatta. Always a hive of activity.Last Saturday, locals woke to find Freedom Plaza overtaken by a stage, massive white tent and food stalls, as the Cabramatta Allsorts Barbecue swung into gear for the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.Simon Marnie broadcasting live for 702ABC Sydney702 Weekends was broadcasting live from Cabramatta, and I'd been asked to come down to be interviewed for

Mantra Indian Restaurant, Ryde

Jewelled print in the dining roomBollywood glamour.You wouldn't know it from the outside--a bland concrete facade perched at a busy intersection in Ryde--but enter Mantra and you'll find an over-the-top spectacle of diamantes, gold and silk, a whirling riot of colour that screams Bollywood on speed.There's so much to take in, I don't know where to look first. Everything is glittery and shiny and

New Shanghai, Chatswood Chase, Sydney

"Ooh, fancy."It's the first thought that comes in my head when we finally find New Shanghai at Chatswood Chase.We'd wandered around the shopping centre a little lost at first, taking a wrong turn and hitting a dead end at the supermarket before turning back and heading hesitantly towards the food court.I'm still unsure as we make our way past hard plastic chairs and tables, coffee chains and

Win The Foodies' Guide to Sydney 2011

So you've read about Foodies' Guide. Now who wants a free copy to aid their next food adventure?It's a long weekend for Sydneysiders and what better way to start it than with a Freebie Saturday giveaway.THE PRIZE:Five readers will win a copy of the The 2011 Foodies' Guide to Sydney authored by Simon Thomsen and written by a team of 18 food writers, including me.We've combed the streets of Sydney

Freebie Friday: Win a copy of Reinventing Food - the first biography of Ferran Adrià

Ferran Adrià - who is he, and how did he become such an influential chef on the international stage, winning "Best Restaurant in the World" for an unprecedented four years running?Without any formal culinary training, Ferran built elBulli into a three Michelin-starred restaurant, with over two million reservation requests received for only 8,000 dining places. How did a cook in the military

The 2011 Foodies' Guide to Sydney

Always on the hunt for a new food adventure?The 2011 Foodies' Guide to Sydney officially goes on sale on October 1, 2010 and I'm pleased to reveal my involvement as a member of the contributing team.Foodies' Guide to Sydney contributorsA new team of eighteen food writers have combed the streets of Sydney and beyond for this fifth edition, hunting down the best bakeries, cheese specialists,

Dong Ba, Cabramatta

Cheap and cheerful. How can you go wrong?There a relaxing sense of ease when we enter Dong Ba in Cabramatta, a familiar Vietnamese restaurant layout of no-nonsense chairs and tables stocked with tissues boxes, cutlery, sauces bottles and silver thermoses of tea.We've trailed behind Margaret of fangirlish, a first-time face-to-face meeting for both Suze and I, although our long time readings of

All you can eat sushi at Kansai, Sydney

Four words that will make anyone smile: All. You. Can. Eat.Every year I say that I have outgrown the ignominious lust for outright gluttony. And yet still, there's a delicious little thrill at the prospect of a limitless buffet, as though a personal best is beckoning to be broken.Kansai all you can eat menuThere are only three of us this evening, although we plan to attack with the cumulative

Food tour of Petone and Wellington, New Zealand

Mmmm..... meat.

The sight of jamon on the hoof sends a thrill down my spine. Seeing the cured meat as a distinct part of a beast is a stark reminder of where our food comes from - an animal that has given its life for us to eat. Forget about sterile plastic-wrapped packages of anonymous protein cubes. Meat involves death, and with it, responsibility and respect.

The themes of provenance (

Belvedere Hotel, Sydney

Sometimes all you need is a burger.Despite the gleaming renovations and air of sophistication, we're pleased to find a reasonably cheap and cheerful bar menu at the Belvedere Hotel.The ground floor bar menu is a mix of burgers, snacks and a pizzas, along with a selection of more substantial main meals, including slow-braised lamb shanks, chicken schnitzel and fish and chips. Apart from the 400g

Freebie Friday: Win two tickets to a Molecular Gastronomy Dinner Class at Chef's Armoury

For many of us, food is no longer just a source of fuel - eating out is more often about adventure, entertaining and discovering something new.The growth and influence of molecular gastronomy continues to expand - from the wild and whimsical experiments by Heston Blumenthal on Heston's Feasts , to the spherification of peas by Aaron Thomas on MasterChef season one, to the high-end

Win two tickets to see Rene Redzepi of Noma, Copenhagen

A tiny 40 seat restaurant in Copenhagen was catapulted into the international spotlight when Noma wrestled the title of World's Best Restaurant from five-time winner el Bulli, by Ferran Adria, in Spain.Noma head chef Rene Redzepi will be jetsetting into Australia for the opening event of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, a comprehensive program of events running throughout the month

Meet Fresh Taiwanese Dessert House, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney

Dessert always makes people happy, and a late night opening dessert house in Chinatown has long been overdue.The corner of Goulburn and Dixon Streets -- formerly occupied by Daniang Dumpling -- is now home to the franchised Taiwanese dessert house Meet Fresh. There are over 100 Meet Fresh outlets in Taiwan - the Sydney outlet is their first Australian venture.In its opening week, the queues have

Mappen, Sydney

Self-serve tempura? Tell me more...You wouldn't know that deep-fried heaven exists in a tiny shopfront behind the 85C Cake Shop on George Streeet. The former Optus store inside Skyview Plaza has been converted to Menya Mappen, a cafeteria-style Japanese noodle bar that allows diners to select their own tempura fixings.Instructions on "How to enjoy Mappen"A poster on the front door provides clear

Spring Barbecue

A food blogger barbecue? Always pack an extra stomach.Happy Luck RestoranI laugh when I arrive at Karen's house and spot the sign on the door. A random tweet by Billy about making signs for his satay stand had prompted a flurry of tongue-poking texta work all over Sydney.But to start a party you must have drinks. Karen has jugs of Pimms and lemonade, Richard has more alcohol on standby, and then

A Masterclass and Degustation at Tetsuya's

Meet Judi Adams.In March of this year, Grab Your Fork ran a competition for one reader to win a Masterclass with Tetsuya Wakuda. Judi was chosen by competition sponsor Electrolux as the lucky winner.The prize included return flights to Sydney, one night's accommodation and an invitation to attend an exclusive Masterclass at Tetsuya's restaurant. Judi was so excited by the evening, she emailed me

Win a $100 dining voucher at Signorelli Gastronomia

It's Freebie Friday time!This week's giveaway comes from the kind folk at Signorelli Gastronomia who have provided a $100 dining voucher for one lucky Grab Your Fork reader.What to choose? Perhaps you'll start with the antipasto platter. Or should you save your stomach for the light-as-air gnocchi? Will there be room for the open lasagna with oxtail? Maybe you'll gather a group of friends and

Shalom, Broadway Ultimo

Fried chicken with fresh chilli sauce $9Ayam goreng shalom"What about that one?" asks A, as we stare slack-jawed at the pictorial menu above our heads."But that's grilled chicken, not fried..." I reply, in confusion.A look of panic flashes across his face. "Oh no, we don't want grilled. We only want fried."I nod, and silently breathe a sigh of relief.Deep fried tofu $4Because really, who doesn't

WLG Wellington pop-up restaurant, Sydney

Not even a downpour of late afternoon rain could dampen the enthusiasm of diners at the opening night of the WLG Wellington pop-up restaurant in Sydney last night.The old Bayswater Brasserie site has been transformed into a showcase of Wellington's finest produce, an impressive display of wines, chocolates and fresh vegetables creating a vibrant market atmosphere that spills throughout the cosy

Adelaide Central Market

My favourite type of tourist attraction? The local markets.

Wandering the aisles is always tantalising for the eyes and the stomach, but it's also the best place to see what's grown and what's in season, find out the specialties of the region and chat with locals too.

If there's one essential pit stop for food lovers in Adelaide it's the Adelaide Central Market, conveniently located in the

Chicken Mole Poblano: Recipe

An electric stove is no fun, until inspiration strikes and a blow torch walks into the kitchen.Why was I blow-torching tomatoes? To make mole poblano, the Mexican national dish that marries chilli with bitter chocolate.I'd always been fascinated by mole poblano. Chocolate with meat? It sounded too bizarre. I tried it for the first time at the Chocolate Dog in Newtown (now closed) and have been

Devour, Wellington on a Plate

Electric.It's the only word to describe the atmosphere in the room, as world-class tenor Benjamin Makisi holds a high note with ringing power.Tonight we're at the Devour Gala Dinner for Wellington on a Plate, the big ticket event of the festival that is celebrating Wellington, particularly the City Market, its providores and its supporters.Table settingThe dinner takes place in the atrium of the

Freebie Friday: Win a twin pack of Smirnoff Vodka mixers

Tough week? Looking forward to unwinding with friends? This week's Freebie Friday takes the hassle out of entertaining with the launch of two new products by Smirnoff Vodka, adult mixers that combine vodka with either Ocean Spray cranberry or blood orange juice in a box.Chill in the fridge and bring to your next dinner party or backyard barbecue. Your drinks will be sorted!THE PRIZE:A prize pack

Sea Sweet, Parramatta

The September issue of Time Out Sydney is now out with my latest Food & Drink column highlighting Sea Sweet Patisserie at Parramatta.
It was Fouad from The Food Blog who first put me onto this suburban gem, just one stop on a delicious fooding day out. He had told me about a Lebanese breakfast that involved cheese in a bun that was drowned in syrup. My first question was where, and quickly

Signorelli Gastronomia, Pyrmont

Signorelli Gastronomia whole porchetta with agrodolce (24hrs' notice required)"Do you mind if I take a photo?"I often wonder if it's socially acceptable when dining out to ask another table if I can photograph their food, but tonight is the first time I act on it. The listing of a whole suckling pig on the menu at Signorelli Gastronomia sends my pulse racing until I read the 24-hour pre-order

Berta, Sydney

You'll find Berta hidden down an industrial-looking alleyway in the back streets of Surry Hills. Just a block up from Spice I Am, the glass door to Berta is plain, unassuming and extraordinarily heavy.Berta isn't usually open during the day, but today the tiny space is clanging with voices, an assembly of Sydney media for the launch of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2011.Chicken liver pate

Chefs Gallery, Sydney

"Do you mind if you sit at the bench?" the waitress asks apologetically.Of course we don't. In fact Billy and I break out into huge grins as we realise we'll be seated with a birds eye view of the action, a glassed-in kitchen that is more akin to a noodle-making arena.Chef's Gallery is the newest dumpling house in Sydney, executive chef Edward Zhao taking up residence on the Regent Place site

Boulcott Street Bistro, Wellington

Rex Morgan, head chef of Boulcott Street Bistro, will be the final chef rattling at the pans at the Wellington pop-up restaurant in Sydney. We were fortunate to visit his restaurant, a charming gothic cottage wedged amongst office blocks and cement buildings, during last month's trip to Wellington,



Nestled behind a white picket fence, the cottage is a surprise but welcome sight in the

Wellington pop-up restaurant in Sydney

If you haven't been to Wellington, look out Sydneysiders, because Wellington is coming to you.The former Bayswater Brasserie site in Kings Cross is set to be transformed into a unique pop-restaurant, WLG (Wellington's airport code) that will be serving up the best of Wellington's restaurant scene. Over thirteen days in September, the temporary restaurant will be hosted by four of Wellington's top

Efendy, Balmain

Koc YumurtasiPan-fried lamb testicles with almond garlic tarrator"The lamb testicles... they taste a bit like sausage."There's a moment of silence before the table erupts into a fit of giggles at the unwitting comparison. But it is true. The testicles do taste like sausage, a little bouncy but still soft, like a well-minced chicken sausage in a taut skin. They don't have a lot of flavour, mild on

Matterhorn, Wellington

At last. I am pushing open the door to Matterhorn.
Mattherhorn's reputation precedes itself. In 2008 it won Cuisine Magazine's Best Restaurant in New Zealand award, one of many achievements in its 40-year long history. Established by two Swiss brothers in 1963, Matterhorn was initially set up as a cafe, soon becoming a weekend favourite with families and -- between lapses of disrepair and

Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney

There are 2,682 Riedel riesling glasses in the famed chandelier at Rockpool Bar & Grill. Its sheer enormity is enough to make you stop and pause a moment, a little awestruck with admiration.
Rockpool Bar and Grill reception desk and banquette seating
It's the same feeling you get when you enter the sweeping surrounds of the restaurant dining room, impressively opulent with a soaring atrium and

Logan Brown, Wellington

"Have you seen the bar? There's a fish tank in it."
We are quick to investigate. The salt water fish tank runs the length of the bar at Logan Brown, winner of NZ Restaurant of the Year at the Cuisine Magazine Awards 2009. It's the last thing you'd expect to find in this stylish restaurant, housed in the impressive lofty surrounds of a former 1920s bank chamber.
Crayfish in the salt water fish

Interview with sake master Toshi Maeda + win a chotto and cocktail package for two at Ocean Room Sydney

Surely every Sydneysider realises we are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful harbours in the world.The recent sake masterclass at Ocean Room reminded me of how exquisite Sydney Harbour looks at night: the iconic images of the Harbour Bridge -- sturdy, graceful and reassuring -- and the elegant sails of the Opera House, illuminated by the twinkling lights of the city as ferries quietly chug

Masuya, Sydney

Mulloway jewfish Masuya's way $23Masuya's signature dish of jewfish fillet with a carefully rolled potato net,oven baked till crispy and served with dill lime butter sauce and soy infusionDo you remember French Fries? Those crinkly red packets you'd get from the corner shop that held a mountain of potato straws? Those chips would last you forever if you nibbled on them, as I did as a kid, one by

Wellington on a Plate 2010

"We greet you. We greet you."After my trip last year for the inaugural Wellington on a Plate food festival, I was excited to not only be invited to return, but to visit with fellow food bloggers Billy, John and Peter as well. Hurrah - food loves company.Bolton HotelWe've been split up across two hotels - Billy and John in the Holiday Inn; Peter and I at the Bolton Hotel. Our rooms are on the

Ocean Room, Sydney

Is there an alcoholic drink more misunderstood than sake?Too often dismissed as overly harsh and alcoholic, a recent Sake Masterclass at Ocean Room showed us otherwise. Guests were led through a six course degustation dinner designed by Executive Chef Raita Noda. Each course contained sake as an ingredient, and was matched with sake by Melbourne-based sake master Toshi Maeda.Sakes sampled during

Win movie tickets to The Kids Are All Right

This week's Freebie Friday takes us back to the movies. Giant tubs of popcorn, frozen coke and a choc-top will have your weekend sorted.Thanks to Hopscotch Films, we have ten double in-season passes to see The Kids Are All Right, starring Julianne Moore, Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo. Lesbian parents, a restaurant-owning father and lots of laughs make an enjoyable comedy about today's modern

Chophouse, Sydney: Suckling Pig

"Can you smell that?"Suze stops short and looks at me, her eyes wide with excitement. I can only nod in reassurance as I breathe in deeply. "It's definitely the smell of suckling pig," I say. "I can smell the fat and the crackling", and we both fall silent as we enter a Homer Simpson-like reverie.David Clarke, Executive Chef, in the kitchenWe are are a group of eleven pork-loving food bloggers

Chef interview: Ten questions with Tomislav Martinovic

Tomislav Martinovic is the chef and owner behind Sydney restaurant Tomislav. His work with Heston Blumenthal is evidenced in a menu that fuses flavour with innovation, creating playful food like rice crackers that come with DIY vinegar spritzers. After dining at Tomislav, I was keen to find out more about the chef in the open kitchen. Tomislav was only too happy to oblige.Ten Questions with

Mizuya, Sydney

Kushiage? It means "deep-fried on a stick". On the touch-screen menu at Mizuya, the kushiage section has helpful "before" and "after" shots so you can see the bright green asparagus and the glossy quail eggs quivering in their naked form, before they are crumbed and deep-fried to a Bondi Beach golden tan.Mizuya is all about instant gratification, the pictorial touch screen menus easily navigable

Kammadhenu, Newtown

Gobi pakoda $7
After a day out traipsing on a Newtown food tour, a late lunch was clearly in order. A trail of cheeky comments on the post pondered why we didn't eat at one of 123,894 Thai restaurants along King Street. But why would you when you can have dosai and deep-fried cauliflower.
There are two outlets of Kammadhenu in Newtown - the King St south branch is closed so we walk up to the one

Win dessert for two at Tomislav, Darlinghurst

Were you intrigued by the desserts at Tomislav Restaurant on this week's post? The lucky winner of this week's Freebie Friday will be able to enjoy dessert for two at Tomislav, including three desserts and two drinks - now that's sweet!THE PRIZE:Dessert for two at Tomislav which includes a selection of three desserts and a glass of wine each.Please note that this prize can only be redeemed

Sydney Roller Derby League and Kingsford Chinese, Kingsford

Have you watched the film Whip It? Until I did, I had no idea that roller derby existed. A chance conversation with hazchem alerted me to the fact that roller derby is alive and kicking in Sydney - the Sydney Roller Derby League has been going stong for three years. Roller derby has its roots in Chicago in 1935, sweeping across the USA before experiencing a decline in popularity in the 1970s. In

Sichuan-style slow roast chicken wings

Slow-roast chicken wings with Sichuan-style dry spice rubWho said commenting doesn't give rewards?After posting the pics of Pig Flyin's Sichuan chicken wings at our Stomachs Eleven pizza dinner, there was an outcry of comments and tweets requesting the recipe.He was more than happy to oblige!Pig Flyin's Sichuan-style slow roast chicken wings"This isn't a strict recipe. It goes a little by feel,

Tomislav, Darlinghurst

Is the essence of good food a sense of fun?I can't help but break out into a smile when our rice crackers arrive, not the bubbled crunchy discs from a supermarket, but a slate grey tile covered with a crashing surf of delicate shards that are almost see-through.Rice crackers with sea salt and vinegar $8In one corner is a spray bottle filled with vinegar, along the side of the tile is a scattered

Stomachs Eleven: Pizza and friends

Sometimes pizza and friends is all you need for a perfect night in.Our happy group of food-loving friends (also known as Stomachs Eleven) converged on the home of Miss Rice and Mr Potato Head. It was always going to be a casual affair, A Little Feast Around the World said the handwritten menu on the coffee table.It was a pot luck dinner - everyone volunteering to bring a little something to add

Waterthins Chocolate Selection Freebie Friday: Win ten boxes (three prize packs up for grabs)

Do you like chocolate? Then this Freebie Friday is made for you!Enter this week's Freebie Friday to win not one, not two, but TEN packs of Waterthins Chocolate Selections. Creme Delights are milk chocolate topped biscuits filled with a cocoa and peanut creme. Wafer Straws are crisp hollow batons enrobed in milk chocolate. You don't make friends with salad, but you'll win plenty of mates with

Baroque Bistro Patisserie, The Rocks - Macaron Masterclass

Macarons. The last frontier.For such a tiny mouthful, these delicate meringue-based biscuits have been known to strike fear in the boots of home cookers, food bloggers, and MasterChef contestants. I'd been so paranoid by the prospect of collapsed meringues, of footless travesties, of effort and soul crushed repeatedly by failure, that I'd never been game to attempt them. Until now.It's a

Newtown food tour

Is there a greater adventure than one that revolves around food?We set off on a Newtown food tour today, a group of food bloggers led by Newtown local John. Food lovers are naturally treasure troves of information, and the mutual sharing of knowledge when it comes to a cuisine or a suburb is always rewarding and inspiring. I still remember the first food tour - an Indian spice tour of

Win one of three Rochester Ginger drink double gift packs

Did you spot Rochester Ginger in Sydney over the last two weeks? Keen foodies may have tasted this spicy non-alcoholic ginger drink which popped up at both the Good Food & Wine Show as well as the Aroma Festival in The Rocks.The Rochester Ginger drink is made to a Dickensian recipe and contains 14% raw ginger root, as well as raisins, cowslip herb and elderflower. It promises to unleash "the kick

Food Bloggers' Dinner - taking over the kitchen at Bistro CBD

Food bloggers. What do they know about cooking in a commercial kitchen?As of last night, four Sydney food bloggers found out a whole lot more, after gaining access to the other side of the pass at Bistro CBD when they were enlisted to cook dinner for 70 paying guests.The Food Bloggers' Dinner was a brave initiative by Merivale, who agreed to let four amateur cooks into their kitchen as part of

Kopi Luwak at Olio, St Leonards, Sydney

Charcuterie plate $13Prosciutto, Spanish salami, bresaola, roasted olives, pickles and grilled sourdoughThe smart Mediterranean brasserie, Olio, is the last thing you'd expect to find at The Forum, a jostle of takeaway stores, a supermarket and a non-stop thoroughfare of commuters. It's barely a dozen steps away from the humdrum of train travel, but Olio is an oasis of calm - a warm and

Apam balik, Kek Look Tong temple caves and suckling pig

Hot and steamy.

Perfect adjectives for a Saturday night, but not so appealing when it's mid-afternoon in downtown Ipoh, Malaysia.
A takeaway bag of freshly squeezed kalamansi juice, packed with ice and a little salty from a ball of salted plum, does wonders.
We had just come from Kek Look Tong, a temple cave that offered cool refuge from the unrelenting heat, and one of Ipoh's main tourist

Win two tickets to the Efendy Celebration Dinner worth $110

It's Friday. Let's celebrate!This week's Freebie Friday celebrates Turkish cuisine with a prize for two tickets to the Efendy Celebration Dinner on August 19. This special one-off dinner follows on from the announcement of Istanbul as the European Capital of Culture for 2010. Each year the European Union chooses a city to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. In 2010, three

Chicken liver parfait recipe

I don't know what I was worried about.Making your own chicken liver parfait -- as I soon found out -- is one of the easiest things in the world. I brought little pots of chicken liver parfait to a Christmas in July Yulefest dinner with fellow food bloggers, a little nervous and filled with trepidation at presenting my first efforts to pate aficionados. When there was no shortage of volunteers to

Haven Seafoods, Terrigal - and a Christmas in July feast

Christmas in July.For most Aussies, Christmases are about fresh prawns, cold ham and oysters. The notion of digging into a hot roast with roast potatoes and gravy is at odds with our stifling hot summers, regardless of tradition. Celebrating Christmas in July is one way of beating Mother Nature at her own game, and this year Billy and The Pom were kind enough to host a small party of food

Ipoh bean sprouts, Concubine Lane and Funny Mountain Soy Milk

Short, fat and stumpy. The bean sprouts in Ipoh are said to be the best in the world.
There is no such thing as a humble bean sprout in Ipoh. Forget about wilted, soggy and translucent imitators. The pride of Ipoh are another experience entirely. Squat in appearance, the sprouts are firm, pure white and decidedly crunchy.
They are addictive to eat on their own, and I'm not usually a big fan of

Becasse, Sydney

Black olive biscotti with whipped goats' curd

I am in love.
His name is Butter and he likes to be whipped.
Like so many great things in life, he's not an attention seeker but tucked away quietly in the corner. He's not even listed on our dinner menu tonight at Bécasse , the inaugural monthly Cellar Night where patrons can bring their own bottle of wine to dinner for waived corkage.
The Cellar

Löwenbräu Keller, Sydney

How do you say Löwenbräu? Did you know the correct pronunciation is loov-en-brau loov-en-broy lurvin-broy [ack. I still got it wrong. Corrected now thanks to anon and Rissole below]? Yes, all this time I've been saying it wrong! Low-en-brau be gone, it's lurvin-broy with a rolling r from now on. Musical Germanic accent entirely optional.If there's a silver lining to the onset colder weather, it's

Blancharu, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney

"Oh my god, they're so cute!"I don't know who utters this first, but Suze and I stare fascinated at the giant lunch box filled with clumps of dough shaped to look like spatchcock heads.We move in closer to the counter at Blancharu, admiring their perfectly shaped heads, the eyes made from cloves, delicate beaks that are every so slightly open. The salt-crusted spatchcock, featured during the

Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket

Doesn't everybody love a food tour? Where to go and what to eat? Where to find the hidden gems and which dishes are the specialty of the house?I'm excited to finally let you all know about my involvement with the new Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket published by Urban Walkabout. This free 34-page booklet highlights a mix of restaurants, pubs, sweets and more. It has been designed to

Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains - Emirates Hotel

Wolgan Valley ResortIt wasn't too long ago that my idea of luxury accommodation was having the shower and toilet inside my room. On my first trip overseas on my own, I stayed in a youth hostel in London, sleeping in a triple bunk bed in a compact room with 11 of the newest best friends.Communal showers and toilets aren't all bad. I backpacked around Europe and the UK on a shoestring budget,

Interview with Kumar Mahadevan + win a $150 lunch for two at Aki's, Woolloomooloo

Chef Kumar Mahadevan2010 is a big year for Kumar Mahadevan, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his Indian restaurant Abhi's in North Strathfield. Named after his first son, Abhi's opened in 1990 and soon developed a cult following who relished his lighter touch with new and interesting Indian dishes. A second restaurant, Aki's - named after his second son - opened on the Finger Wharf in

Ipoh, Malaysia: Tortoises, rojak and yong tau fu

You can take the boy out of Ipoh...
There's a palpable sense of excitement as we descend the winding roads of the Cameron Highlands and head towards the town of Ipoh. This is Billy's hometown and since the start of the trip, Billy has not stopped raving about the food of his childhood.
The increase in temperature is apparent as soon as we leave the mountains. Less than ninety minutes later, we

Abhi's Indian Restaurant, North Strathfield

Pappadums $2.80 per serve with side dish platter of mango chutney, raita and kachumber $6.80The joy of the pappadum.There's a happy sense of joy about snapping the thin crisp disc of pappadum into jagged shards, surveying the little pots of cucumber and yoghurt raita,mango chutney and tomato and onion kachumber set in front of you. The biggest decision is which one to eat first, and next, and

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia: Caterpillar fungus, Brinchang Markets and assam laksa

"They're worms!" we cry out to Billy as we lean in closer to inspect.
Billy laughs. They're actually caterpillar fungus, a parasite that attacks hibernating caterpillar larvae and taps into its circulatory system. The fungus starves the larvae, enveloping the insect and taking on its shape until it is effectively mummified.
The Chinese call it dong chong chao. With a long list of reputed

Aki's Indian Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

Palak patta chaat $13Who knew spinach could taste so good?The secret, of course, is it's deep-fried. To create palak patta chaat, single leaves of spinach are dipped in a thick besan (chickpea) batter and then fried to a crisp golden brown. Piled into a steep and craggy mountain, the entire mass is drizzled with a rainbow of sauces: snow white yoghurt, pale green mint and chilli sauce, and daubs

Brasserie Bread, Banksmeadow: Baking with Brioche Workshop

You know that sound? The crackle of a knife making that first cut into a loaf of crusty bread?It reminds me of footsteps crunching on a pile of autumn leaves. The splintering of the outer shell, the tumble of crust shards onto the chopping board and then the gentle sawing through soft and fluffy pillows of dense sourdough.This must be one of my favourite sounds in the world.Brasserie BreadIt's

Win a 12-month subscription to one of four food magazines

Hungry? I know I always am.Feed your imagination with this week's Freebie Friday prize, a subscription to one of four fabulous food magazines from mag nation. For twelve months, one lucky winner will find new and delicious reading material in their mail box for breakfast, lounging and bedtime reading. You'll never be short of cooking ideas again!THE PRIZE:A 12-month subscription to one of the

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia: Strawberries, tea plantations and charcoal steamboat

Food bloggers go wild
One should always be adventurous when it comes to eating overseas.
We found a bounty of food to savour on our Malaysia trip. Luckily for us, millipedes were not one of them, even if Billy did appear keen.

On the fourth day of our trip we found ourselves departing Kuala Lumpur and heading 214km north to the Cameron Highlands.
At 1500m (5,000 feet) above sea level, the

Enoteca Restaurant, Adelaide with Antonio Carluccio

So it's not every day you find yourself having dinner with Antonio Carluccio.In fact dinner had started ordinarily enough. On our second night in Adelaide for Tasting Australia, Billy and I find ourselves dispatched with six other journalists for dinner at Enoteca, a modern Italian restaurant. We'd been transported by coach to our destination, the assembly of media in town dropped off at various

Competition: Win a $50 dining voucher at Helm Bar, Darling Harbour

It's Freebie Friday time!What better way to kick off a long weekend than the promise of a free meal. Grab Your Fork readers have the chance to win a $50 dining voucher at Helm Bar, Darling Harbour. Can't wait that long to try their $10 bbq beef ribs? Get down there this weekend for the start of the World Cup - Helm Bar will be broadcasting all of Australia's games as well as all 9.30pm and

Helm Bar, Darling Harbour, Sydney

Wagyu beef burger $9.50180g wagyu beef, red onion jam, marinated tomato,cheese, bacon, mayonnaise and lettuceFood always tastes better with a harbour view. We're no strangers to the venue at Helm Bar, a space that used to play host to our lunchtime favourite Pier 26. Over the past 18 months, renovations have been afoot. In addition to the name change, the central bar on the upper balcony has been

Chicken rice balls, Nyonya cendol and 1m roti tisu, Melaka, Malaysia

Malacca.
One of the oldest cities in Malaysia, Malacca - also known as Melaka in Malay - was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511. Its capital city is Malacca Town, preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
We made a day trip to Malacca on day three of our recent trip to Malaysia.
Now a road trip requires one essential thing. Snacks. We had plenty of them.
Twisties in flavours of "

Iron Chef Chen Kenichi and Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai serve up dinner in Sydney

It's no secret. There are Iron Chefs in town.At the press conference on Friday at the Sydney Hilton, event hosts Simon Thomsen and Joanna Savill welcomed Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai and Iron Chef Chinese, Kenichi Chen to Sydney.Simon Thomsen and Joanna SavillRelaxed and jocular, Chen and Sakai were dressed in their signature outfits, and happy to answer questions from the assembled crowd

Aspirational eaters

An interesting article in today's Sydney Morning Herald with a surprising but welcome endorsement of Grab Your Fork. I wouldn't say that I try to emulate Matt Preston - only he can pull off candy pink trousers and a cravat, I say!"Like the Tea Party movement, then, aspirational eaters love to upset the status quo. They're a paradox unto themselves: awestruck observers of time-honoured culinary

ATL Maranatha, Kensington

Ayam goreng tulang lunak $8
Deep-fried soft bone chicken

If fried chicken makes your heart skip a beat, have a defibrillator on stand-by for soft bone chicken. The Indonesian favourite, ayam goreng or fried chicken, is lifted to new levels of crunch at ATL Maranatha, a family-run restaurant on a quiet suburban street corner in Kensington.


THE SPECIALTY

Ayam goreng tulang lunak ($8) is fried

Klang Lek Bak Kut Teh and Batu Caves, Malaysia

The best part about travelling with food bloggers? The non-stop agenda for food.

After picking up our hire van from Mid Valley Megamall (a mere 430 shops across five-and-a-half floors), we christened the vehicle with a trek to Klang.



It's a little over 30km south west from Mid Valley to Klang, but distance never factors in the traffic jams that are synonymous with Kuala Lumpur. Regardless

Freebie Friday winner

Congratulations to NADZ who is the winner of the Grab Your Fork and Alio Freebie Friday competition. NADZ has won two tickets to a pasta-making class with head chef and co-owner Ashley Hughes at Alio. Missed out this time? Don't forget to enter the Freebie Friday competition to win a $50 gift hamper from Bundaberg. Entries close Saturday 5 June at 5.30pm. Unfortunately there'll be a small lag in

The Manse Restaurant, North Adelaide with Stephanie Alexander

"The garden," Stephanie Alexander explains, "is a magical place."On our recent trip to Adelaide for Tasting Australia, Billy and I find ourselves at The Manse for a Petit Degustation with Stephanie Alexander.We'd walked past The Manse at first. Tucked away in a leafy side street in north Adelaide, Billy and I have to double-back when we realise we should have turned left a block before.The Manse

Malaysian street food, stingray and durian - Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur

Forget about fancy restaurants. The most exciting food in Malaysia is found on the street. You won't find fancy decor, mood lighting or crisp tablecloths. It's purely about the food. Food cooked in a furious fashion, served on plastic plates, and eaten whilst standing, or - if you're lucky - perched on a plastic stool that teeters precariously on the side of the road.


Jalan Alor

In Kuala

A Malaysian Food Tour - Food Blogger Style

Petronas Towers

I'm back!

After a week in Adelaide, there was only a day-and-a-half to do laundry and re-pack for a 16-day holiday to Malaysia and Thailand. Along for the ride - foodbloggers Billy, Minh and Simon along with The Pom and Yewenyi.

It was my first trip to Malaysia, a vibrant melting pot of Chinese, Indian and Malay people with a cuisine that includes influences from China,

1945, Pyrmont

"Everyone thinks the woman in the painting is my grandma!" laughs 1945 head chef and co-owner, Natasha Roesli.The women is Raden Ayu Kartini, one of the first and foremost pioneers for the women's movement in Indonesia. Each year, her birthday is celebrated in a national public holiday. "Our restaurant is run by three women," Natasha explains, "so we are all about girl power!"1945 is more than

MOS burger, sake and the Susukino Ice Festival, Japan

MOS BurgerI don't eat a lot of fast food, but in Japan, even the humble hamburger is elevated to a new height of deliciousness.Daiso 100 yen shopAfter our morning walk to the Nijo Fish Market, we'd stumbled upon a five-storey Daiso building. Daiso is a chain of 100-yen shops, usually quite large in size. This five-storey building was the biggest one we encountered on our travels - five dazzling

Photos of Melbourne

Melbourne's lanewaysIt's true. Melbourne is rather cool.Clanging trams, secret laneways, celebrated street art and a diversity of architecture. No wonder Melbourne has a quiet confidence in its signature eclectic style.This is the final post on my Melbourne trip - a photographic essay on the joys and delights of this vibrant city.Flinders Street StationMelbourne Chinatown gateCentre Place

Japan: Nijo Fish Market, Sapporo

A brisk morning walk to the fish markets.I say brisk because Sapporo in Feburary is resolutely cold. We rug up with hats, scarves and jackets, trying to ignore the sub-zero temperatures that greet us as we exit our hotel. The icy pavements are our biggest worry, and I'm still not sure whether it's better to step gingerly across the shiny ice or try to stamp and create some traction.Piles of snow

Lunch with Maggie Beer at Maggie Beer's Farm Shop

Sometimes I have to pinch myself.Sitting in the television kitchen of Maggie Beer, it's hard to believe she's standing right before more, doing a cooking demonstration and preparing lunch for myself and an assembly of assorted food media.It was with great surprise that Billy and I received invitations to attend Tasting Australia, the food and wine festival held in Adelaide every two years. On

Degraves Espresso Bar and Roule Galette, Melbourne

Melbourne may be Australia's second biggest city, but it still has an endearing sense of intimacy. Wide and spacious main roads generously accommodate trams and the ambling flow of pedestrians, but its the side streets that appeal the most - alleys that are narrow and cosy, a happy jumble of boutique stores, al fresco cafes and graffiti-plastered laneways.Degraves Espresso BarOn our final day in

Recipe: Lychee pork ribs (and a food blogger Battle Royale Cook-Off)

Invitation designed by Billy"You should be plating up now!"The scene at Ellie's was all kinds of chaos. Eleven food bloggers - eleven dishes. The challenge? To incorporate fruits into main courses, and vegetables into desserts.Concocted by Billy, Linda and Ellie, it was a Master Chef meets Iron Chef event amidst a frenzy of photos.The rules:Each person was assigned one of two categories- Savoury

Win a Beerenberg prize hamper worth $50

It's a timely coincidence that whilst I'm currently in Adelaide for Tasting Australia, this week's Freebie Friday comes from Beerenberg, located in Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. If you're keen for updates on what I'm up to in Adelaide, simply follow @grabyourfork on Twitter.THE PRIZE:One Beerenberg prize hamper worth $50, containing:1 x Apricot jam1 x Strawberry jam1 x

Tuong Lai, Cabramatta

My first review for Time Out Sydney. The following piece in Tuong Lai has been published in the May 2010 issue as part of my new monthly column. My focus? To uncover hidden gems in the 'burbs.

Writing to a word limit was challenging, and even then, about 15% of my submission hit the editing room floor. I've duplicated the review as it appears in Time Out Sydney but added all the photos I

Guess who has their own column in Time Out Sydney

Hello, I'm a food blogger and I now have a monthly review column in Time Out Sydney.

I know. I know. It's crazy, huh?

Each month I'll be writing a review piece about an untapped culinary Sydney gem. The idea is to focus on out-of-the-way places, providing a brief snapshot of places serving interesting food in the suburbs of Sydney.

My first review appears in the May issue which is out today

Sensory Lab, Melbourne

You don't usually expect a lab coat with your coffee order, but at the Sensory Lab in Melbourne, the making of coffee is a strictly scientific affair.Originally we'd had best intentions to visit famed coffee shop St Ali, but on the morning of our day last in Melbourne, we just missed the tram, the next one wasn't due for 25 minutes and time was ticking down to our departure flight back to

Interview: Ten Questions with Ashley Hughes, Alio + Win Two Tickets to a Pasta-Making Masterclass

Tracey and Ashley Hughes with their fatherSome people know, from a very early age, exactly what they want to do in life.Ashley Hughes was one of them. At age 15, he left school determined to become a chef, commencing an apprenticeship with Greg Doyle and Steve Hodges from Pier and completing it at Bennelong restaurant with Janni Kyritsis and Gay Bilson.In 1996 Ashley left Sydney to work overseas,

Becasse, Sydney - Producers' Forum

Canapé – Sorbello Heirloom tomato tartsJustin North has a particular affection for game. His restaurant, Bécasse, is French for woodcock, a small gamebird mostly found in the Northern Hemisphere.It goes some way to explaining Justin's noticeable excitement at today's Producers' Lunch Forum - one that will feature spanner crab, mushrooms and game. As we learn more about the people behind each

How To Take Better Food Photos and the Rise of the Food Paparazzi

The food paparazzi.It's serendipitous that just as I'm writing this post about food photography, the LA Times publishes an article about the rise in diners taking photographs of their meals in restaurants.Everyone, it seems, is taking pre-dinner snapshots. The article says:Taking a cue from Twitter and Facebook cultures, serious foodies and casual consumers alike are using digital technology to

Park Hyatt Sydney chardonnay tasting dinner

The eighties are back in fashion and winemakers are hoping that chardonnay will be too. This is the message we receive at a recent chardonnay tasting dinner with Heemskerk winemaker Anna Pooley at the Park Hyatt Sydney.The chardonnays of 2010, we are reassured, are not like the ones from twenty-five years ago. Shoulder pads may be back, explains event co-host and lifestyle columnist Melissa Hoyer

Win a magic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs umbrella

It's raining meatballs!Alas, those fantastic scenes from food movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs are unlikely to eventuate, but winning this magic umbrella is the next best thing...Thanks to Raje from Hausmann Communications, I have five magic umbrellas to give away for this Freebie Friday. Why are they magic? When the white patches on the umbrella get wet, they reveal pictures of hamburgers

New Shanghai, Chatswood

Don't you love a menu that's the size of a newspaper?Its unwieldy size is presumably the reason why Shez and I only receive one menu to peruse between us. If we had one each we wouldn't see each other over the top of it.After a day of shopping, a lunch of dumplings is the perfect antidote for sore feet. It takes some time to find the entrance to Chatswood outlet of New Shanghai on Victoria

Abbotsford Convent Bakery Breadmaking Workshop, Melbourne

Is baking bread one of life's greatest pleasures?I used to have a fear of bread - dealing with yeast seems fraught with failure - but like most things, the only thing holding you back from success is simply your own hesitancy.Making bread in your own home is a rewarding experience, and I love that the simple combination of flour, water and yeast can turn into a beautifully baked loaf of bread,

Miso, World Square, Sydney

Tonkatsu is not just crumbed pork - it's a religious experience.

With a national cuisine celebrated for its low-fat sashimi, sushi and reviving miso soup, I love that when it comes to deep-fried food, the Japanese really know how to party. Whether it's light and aerated puffs of tempura, or the crunchy satisfaction of a panko crumb coating, there's always a deep appreciation of the elegance

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

Salted chocolate mousse and salted caramel macaronsImages from The Salt Book, Arbon PublishingSalt in desserts seem like a new and brilliant idea until you realise that people have actually been doing it for ages. In Thailand, fruits like pineapple and green mango are eaten with chilli and salt, and Vietnamese desserts often incorporate a pinch of salt in the coconut milk. In Brittany, they've

Sydney Royal Easter Show 2010

"What do you think we'll see at the Easter Show today?" asked one Mum of her kids on the train to the Easter Show."Um... dogs? And sheep? And um... pigeons!" came the contemplative but excited response.But no mention of ducks, and yet these three ducks stole the show for everyone. They wobbled past Suze and I along the road - we thought they were toys or puppets at first, their long necks swaying

Robosaurus, Sydney Royal Easter Show 2010

The Sydney Royal Easter Show brings out the kid in everyone. As Suze and I watch the Robosaurus stir into action in the main arena, however, it's the first time I've seen an entire stadium turn into awestruck seven-year-old boys.The Robosaurus is a 27-tonne fire-breathing robot that likes to munch on cars. Standing 12m tall, or the equivalent of a five-storey building, the Robosaurus has moving

Claypot King, Melbourne

What food do you crave when you're feeling ill?More often than not, it's a dish that harks back to your childhood. Something simple and comforting with clean flavours that arent overly complex.After two days of non-stop gluttony in Melbourne, Billy and I were already starting to feel a little green around the gills. A post-dinner snack of caramel-filled churros followed by Lord of the Fries hot

High Tea at the Victoria Room

Scones with jam and cream, dainty sandwiches with the crusts cut off and a bounty of petite and sweet desserts... What's not to love about high tea?Tuesday night saw the launch of High Tea at the Victoria Room, a book by Jill Jones-Evans and Joe Gambacorta, featuring both recipes and the history of high tea. Guests mingled over mini cupcakes, flaky pork and apple sausage rolls and delicate

MoVida Aqui, Melbourne

A creeping grin.It's one that doesn't leave me as soon as I found out Billy and I have been booked in for a dinner at MoVida Aqui for our recent weekend trip to Melbourne. It's hard not be to excited - the buzz around MoVida is palpable with the success of its two cookbooks compounded by the recent opening of MoVida Aqui, its third instalment after Movida and Movida Next Door.MoVida Aqui is not

King crab, Hokkaido milk and strawberries

Love is a 50cm long chocolate eclair. At least that is what my eyes tell my stomach when we spy this beauty at the Daimaru department store food hall in Sapporo. At 1785 yen, or AU$22.30 (Feb 2010), it's presumably one to share, and beause I know you're wondering, alas no, I didn't indulge.But I digress. In the previous Japan post, I'd left you at the Sapporo Beer Museum. We'd continued next door

Red Spice Road, Melbourne

I really want to roll a Jaffa down the table... This is the first thought that crosses my mind as Billy and I take our seats at the table for the Viet Lane Sunday lunch in Melbourne two weekends ago.You can't really tell from the photo, but the table--set up along the narrow laneway of McKillop Street--slopes downward to the bottom of the hill. We're seated at the very top. It's the perfect stage

Freebie Friday: Win hotel accommodation worth AU$200

Everybody loves a holiday.The worst part? All the organising!Whilst the internet has made research so much easier, it's also made looking for the best deal a stressful and information-overloaded affair. HotelsCombined.com is a free and easy-to-use search engine that allows you to save time and money.Instead of wasting hours clicking through multiple web pages, HotelsCombined.com searches and

Marigold Restaurant yum cha, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney

You know you're getting old when queuing for food is no longer an option.I realise this when Billy and I somehow hijack group yum cha plans and make a case for an earlier start."Eight people? At 1.00pm?" I repeat, horrified."Too late!" chides Billy."We'll have to queue for ages," I mourn.We may as well throw in a head-shaking grandmotherly "ai-yah" in there as well.And so we wangle an 11am start,

Lord of the Fries, Melbourne

Late night munchies.It's irrelevant that Billy and I have just eaten dinner. Wandering the streets of downtown Melbourne, alive and buzzing on a Friday night, we find new energy and appetite as the touristy but still endearing horse-drawn carriages clip-clop on by, iconic trams clanging bells as they hum past - just like a scene out of The Secret Life of Us.I'd made no secret of my intent to

Deus Cafe and Jed Wines Degustation Dinner

They say that if you find a job that you love doing, you will never have to work again. It sounds magical doesn't it, a perfect existence that allows you to play and be paid for it. What, then, stops so many of us living our dreams? Most of us cite money or mortgages, underlined by a fear of taking the plunge and switching careers.Occasionally you do meet or read about people who are living our

Interview: Ten Questions with Curtis Stone

Curtis Stone is hot property. The Aussie surf-loving chef, who trained under Marco Pierre White in London, is conquering new ground - the US of A - and leaving a trail of fawning female fans in his wake. After starring in two series of Take Home Chef, Curtis is appearing in the current US season of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice, alongside fellow contestants Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Osbourne,

Sapporo Beer Museum

Wakame soba 350yen(about AU$4.40 in Feb 2010)There's a common misconception that Japan is expensive. It's not.As long as you're prepared to eat like a local, it's easy to stay within a modest budget. Of course eating like a local does mean less meat, more pickles and embracing the Japanese affection for soba, udon and ramen.After a night of deep-fried cheese, grilled scallops and a flurry of snow

Madame Brussels, Melbourne

Eclectic, quirky and devil-may-care, Melbourne is constantly full of welcome surprises.Of course, unless luck happens to be in your favour, many of Melbourne's treasures are best-kept secrets known only by locals. For the casual tourist, it's likely you will walk by in complete oblivion and not even realise that you're missing the discreet entrances down alleys, hidden in basements or tucked away

Iiza, Newtown

I can't help it.One look at the spider roll, the nori slices sheathed in a gossamer-thin scroll of daikon, and my mind immediately wanders to comparisons with prophylactics. The phallic-shaped mound of wasabi doesn't help either."It's like safe sex sushi," I whisper to Billy, whose eyes widen in alarm."Don't say that!" he protests, trying to preserve a sense of innocence during his meal, but I

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2010: The Edible Garden; and Aussie Bacon Week

We all recognise and appreciate the joys of good wholesome food and the home garden is rapidly becoming the latest frontier in the pursuit of sustainability and provenance.During our weekend to trip to Melbourne, Billy and I were keen to check out The Edible Garden in City Square, a public initiative to demonstrate how to grow, harvest and cook your own fruits and vegetables. Forget about hedges

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2010: World's Longest Lunch and Death by Chocolate at Koko Black

Five words you don't ever want to hear? "Your flight has been cancelled."It's a small dampener to the spirits of Billy and I, and even though the next flight is full, and the one after that is delayed by 40 minutes, we're still rather jubilant when we land in Melbourne three hours behind schedule.We're a little excited you see - two food bloggers flown down from Sydney by Tourism Victoria for our

Freebie Friday: Win movie tickets to My One and Only

FREE BACON!I mean KEVIN BACON. Same excitement factor, no? If you don't fancy getting footloose with him, then maybe a Big dose of Chris Noth gets your heart racing instead?This week's Freebie Friday gives you the chance to win free tickets to see My One and Only, a comedy film with a jazz soundtrack that will be the perfect antidote to a long working week.My One and Only is inspired by the

Sapporo Snow Festival 2010

If there's one thing that strikes you about Japan, it's the national doctrine of politeness. No matter whether you've spent 100yen or 10,000yen, you will be addressed with deference and given a small bow or nod of appreciation.Everybody takes their job seriously, and there's always a sense of pride by anyone lucky enough to wear a uniform. Buttons are polished, ironed creases are flawlessly crisp

Dotonbori, okonomiyaki and a hotcake sandwich - Osaka, Japan

Cakes at Takashimaya, Namba, OsakaFor a country that exhibits remarkable restraint when it comes to snacks and junkfood, Japanese depaato (department store) food halls are a haven for dessert lovers. It's all about quality of course - each slice of cake as meticulously crafted as an exquisite work of art.We spent hours roaming these basement levels. The pastry chefs wear pristine white uniforms

Tetsuya's, Sydney - and your chance to win a Masterclass with Tetsuya Wakuda

A Masterclass with Tetsuya doesn't happen everyday.What was most interesting about the evening was that ten food bloggers were chosen from around Australia to join Tetsuya Wakuda in his newly-completed Masterkitchen on the first floor of his Kent Street restaurant."You're the first to see it. Ahead of other media," we're told as we head up the stairs.Tetsuya demonstrates scrambled eggs - I have a

Osaka Castle, plum blossoms and kendo

In the hustle and bustle of Japan's big cities, personal space is something you never take for granted.And yet despite the neverending waves of commuters on the Osaka public transport system, there's always a sense of order. Clear markings on train platforms indicate the precise point where doors will open, and passengers always form a polite and patient queue.On our first full day in Japan, we

Fat Noodle, Star City Casino, Pyrmont

When did Sydney turn into a construction zone?After three weeks out of town, I return to suddenly notice the new escalators at the north end of QVB and the masses of hoarding in Darling Harbour and all along the front entrance of Star City casino.Last night we were shepherded toward the main gaming floor for the launch of Sydney's latest dining venture, Fat Noodle, by consultant chef Luke

Japan 2010: Let's Eat!

Itadakimasu!Our arrival in Osaka, Japan prompted only one response: Let's eat!Fluffy clouds (taken with iPhone)The flight had been reasonably uneventful. We had taken advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free Jetstar offer on sale early last year -- the only downside was the 6.10am departure from Sydney and the transfer from domestic to international at the Gold Coast. The early check-in time and a

I'm back!

Food keyrings in OsakaI'm back!How did three weeks in Japan fly past so quickly?Japan was a blast. Highlights included the ice sculptures at the Sapporo Snow Festival, seeing the snow monkeys (Japanese macaques) in Nagano enjoying their outdoor onsen, and making a day trip to Kobe for a lunch of Kobe beef. Rest assured, there'll be plenty of Japan-related entries to come once I wade through the

New Shanghai, Ashfield

"All I want is crab."There is only one dish in Suze's mind when we head to New Shanghai in Ashfield for a spur-of-the-moment dinner. It's the crab cooked in salted egg yolk. "Mmmm..... salty....." she whispers in anticipation when we place our order.Famous New Shanghai steamed mini pork bun $6.80But first, we must have xiao long bao. It's not a proper visit to a Shanghainese restaurant without a

Stomachs Eleven: Mussel mania

It started at Bathers. As we slurped and scraped our way through the bowl of mussels on the table, the G-man suddenly asked "Do you remember the time we had the all-you-can-eat mussels at Bungalow 8?"I nod, ruefully."We had four pots!" Gun declares proudly to the assembled throng. "Four kilos! Each!"Heading shaking, I make a wan sort of smile. Oh yes, I remembered. I had eaten about ten mussels

Bathers Pavilion Cafe, Balmoral Beach

The best thing about a restaurant no-bookings policy is that impromptu plans can be easily made, even though it's late on a Friday afternoon.The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe is the casual but more budget-friendly side to Bathers' Pavilion. Patrons enter the same glass door at the front, a view of the sand and crystal blue waters of Balmoral Beach beckoning on the other side. On the left is the

Stomachs Eleven: A Shanghainese Banquet

The best kind of meal? One cooked by Mum and Dad.Make that a meal cooked by any Mum and Dad because tonight Stomachs Eleven have descended on the home of L&M. M's parents, who are in town for the week, find themselves with a whole hoard of eager extra mouths to feed. We'd been promised a Shanghainese feast and we could barely get there fast enough.It's hard to fathom the number of dishes already

Freebie Friday: Win two tickets to a Beef and Beer Masterclass

Beef and beer. How can you go wrong? This week's Freebie Friday is a Beef and Beer Masterclass by MUMU Grill.The Beef and Beer Masterclass by MUMU Grill follows on from its wildly successful launch during the Sydney International Food Festival last year. Initially expecting to fill just one class of 12, overwhelming demand led them to run six classes. As a result, MUMU will be hosting this as a

Konnichi wa

Konnichi wa from Japan. It's cold here but we are having a ball.Those of you following @grabyourfork on twitter will have noticed a sporadic stream of photos. If you're not on twitter, here's a brief update on a few things I've seen so far...[Click the pics for larger versions]Today's Osaka find. Soft boiled eggs from the convenience store!Probs with kids not eating their meals? That's because

Jasmin, Lakemba

Falafel $6"Oh. My. God."I tend to get nervous whenever I recommend a dish or a restaurant, plagued by a moment of self-doubt when the moment of truth arrives.The falafel at Jasmin's are the best I've ever tasted," I confidently declare to Simon and Yas, but even when the dish arrives, I'm a little uncertain.I needn't have worried. Simon takes a bite and then nods in approval. Yas adds a chortle

Beer tasting dinner at MuMu Grill, Crows Nest

"Jamon, Aussie, Jamon... Jamon"This, I think, should be the cheer I will sing at all functions from now on.Tonight I'm at a beer tasting dinner at MUMU Grill, a preview event by owner and head chef Craig Macindoe before the soon-to-be regular event is launched to the public in March. We're also among the first to check out the new private dining room, a previously underutilised alcove that has

Itadakimasu

Kaiseki course, KyotoKonnichi wa!By the time you read this, I will probably have already boarded my early morning flight to Japan. Oh yes, the lure of a cut-price budget airline flight was too good to resist!Over the course of three weeks, we'll be eating our way around Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Takayama with a brief side-trip to Seoul, just because we can!Watching television in my capsule in

Freebie Friday: Win a case of Sauvignon Blanc from Jed Wines

Why would three Australian winemakers travel half-way across the world to make wine in Argentina?The story of Jed Wines is best told by Tom Egan, Jed Director and one of the winemakers who makes the annual trek."When it comes to wine, the environment the grape vine grows obviously plays such a huge role in the resulting wine. What we loved about Argentina is that the climate is so different and

Bagan Burmese Restaurant, Strathfield

Pae parata $5.50The food of Burma isn't widely known or recognised around the world. Sydneysiders, blessed with such a diversity of restaurants at their fingertips, have a specialist Burmese restaurant in their own backyard.Burma shares borders with several countries in Southeast Asia: China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh and India, and has borrowed elements from all of them to create a unique style

Immanuel Cafe Restaurant, Ultimo

A huddle of taxi drivers is always a good sign.I'm talking about taxi drivers at eating establishments. Surely with free transport at their disposal, their endorsement of any restaurant is worth noting?There's a group of four taxi drivers outside Immanuel, a simple and barely furnished cafe that serves homestyle Indonesian food. It's not our first stop for the evening. Feeling in need of

Zeta Bar Hilton Sydney - Cryogenic Sorbet and Cocktail Bar

Impervious to the appeal of the multi-coloured cocktail? The Zeta Bar at the Sydney Hilton has added smoke and a splash of science with a new range of cryogenic cocktails and sorbets.Cryogenics? It refers to the study of the production of very low temperatures (below -150C or -238F). We found out more at the recent launch held for an assembly of media.Making mojitos at the barThe cocktails flowed

Freebie Friday: Win a spice hamper with African red drinking chocolate

Welcome to the first Freebie Friday for 2010!Are you on a health kick as part of a New Year's resolution? Determined to eat better, cook more or save money by eating in? Then you'll love our first prize for the year which comes from the good folk at Le' Spice.One lucky reader will win a spice hamper containing three spice mixes: peri peri, Mughlai korma and almond dukka - perfect for that

New Best Australian Food Blog Award and Golden Century, Haymarket

Food bloggers. Always ready to dig in.It's hard to believe that Grab Your Fork will be approaching its sixth anniversary in April 2010. The growth of food blogs since 2004 has been phenomenal - in 2009 alone, 56 new Sydney-based food blogs published their first post. I remember when I first started, I would say that I had a 'food website' because, back then, few people knew what a 'food blog' was

Haymarket Hot Pot Restaurant, Sydney

"Normal? Are you sure you want normal?"Our waitress looks at us with scepticism as she takes our order. "It's very hot. Do you like chilli?"We're ordering our soup base at the newly opened Haymarket Hot Pot Restaurant. The available options seem arbitary - normal or extra hot (presumably for the locals), or mild and ultra mild (presumably for the faint of heart). In other words, you're either a

Flying Fajita Sistas, Glebe

"Real Mexican..." says Suze, as we peruse the menu outside Flying Fajita Sistas. "Will there be cheese?"Table settingWe are a group of eight tonight, waiting with the rest of Sydney, it seems, for the second sitting of 8.30pm on a Tuesday night. The reason for the strict turnover is simple - Tuesday offers $3 tacos and $3 tequila shots. No wonder everyone looks so happy to wait.Wine glasses and

Ten Ren Cha for Tea, Haymarket Sydney

No, duck fat chips don't fill you up for long.Even before we've settled in our seats after dinner to see David Sedaris, Yas and I are already planning supper for after the show.We tumble onto the street and find ourselves trekking toward Chinatown. Bellies full of duck fat chips and wagyu and lamb cutlets and crema Catalan could do with a little counterbalance, which is how we end up at Ten Ren

Sean's Kitchen, Pyrmont

Duck fat chips. This is the main reason why Yas and I find ourselves at Sean's Kitchen for a pre-show dinner.We're seeing David Sedaris at the State Theatre - not a huge walk between that and Star City Casino - but it's the promise of duck fat chips that clinch our decision. We're easily swayed.Sean's KitchenIt's my third visit to Sean's Kitchen, the first at the launch of Sean Connolly's TV

Toriciya, Cammeray

The first thing you notice about Toriciya is the entrance. It's not the physical facade -- Spanish villa arches in a cafe latte brown--but the act of entering the door itself. A heavy glass-paneled sliding door utters a quiet shuuushhh as you slide it open. The low hanging noren curtain forces you to duck your head as you enter, an act of deference that imparts a sense of humility as you cross

Eaton Chinese Restaurant, Ashfield

"Do you want to eat the pigeon head?"Master Five looks at me and nods eagerly. I transfer the bird's head to his bowl where he picks it up, looks at it curiously, pauses, and then crunch goes the beak.I look at him nervously.Crunch goes the eyes. Crunch goes the top of its head."Look Helen, that's his brain".I'm a little mortified but mostly pleased. Actually I'm mortified that he's eaten more

Sushi Samurai, Pyrmont

Black vinegar and honey water $4.80 and mango soda $4.80Black vinegar on the drinks menu? Even as I read it, I knew I'd be ordering the strangest thing on the menu.Sushi Samurai is a small but cosy restaurant, timber tables and bench seating clustered in warm and earthy surrounds. It's reasonably busy at lunch and dinner, popular with local residents, nearby workers and Lyric Theatre patrons

La Tapa Guapa at the Sir John Young Hotel, Sydney

Pub grub. It doesn't have to involve steaks or mixed grills.You've probably walked past the Sir John Young Hotel on George Street hundreds of times. For years I'd looked on with curiosity at the outdoor tables, mostly men knocking back beers and lazily picking at terracotta dishes of tapas.Yes, tapas. Why did I wait so long?La Tapa Guapa is the Spanish restaurant attached to the back of the Sir

Lychee and jasmine cupcakes

Making up cupcake flavours is far too much fun. Chocolate? Vanilla? Why take the pedestrian route when you can go crazy with whatever flavour combination takes your fancy. Popcorn, Coca-Cola, strawberry balsamic and chocolate bacon cupcakes have all been baked recently, out of whimsy.Often, I'll try to match cupcake flavours to the cuisine I know we'll be eating, so Asian-themed dinners have

Sugarcane, Surry Hills

Prawns on rice cake with caramelised sugarcane $4 eachI admit that I'd been a little nervous.A hip restaurant interior, a menu that traverses the gamut of South East Cuisine and a website that is all fancy Flash graphics and hip schmoozy soundtrack. These are the things that make me wary on approach to Sugarcane.The Surry Hills restaurant is not without pedigree, headed by ex-Longrain chefs Milan

Hurricane's Grill & Bar, Darling Harbour

It's catching.Lately I've found that I'm not the only person at the table taking food photos. Somehow certain friends and colleagues have gotten into the craze too.Okay so they're not quite at the stage where they're lugging around SLRs in their handbags, but half the time I look up from my camera to notice someone else snapping a photo of the same dish as well.On my return to work after the

Makan at Alice's, Thornleigh

Teh tarik Malaysian milk tea $4.50Exhausted? Lethargic? It's funny how the mere mention of food will always make me sit up with interest.And so it was that a car full of food bloggers, silently slumped in their seats after a long day at the Sydney Food Bloggers' Christmas party, found themselves all smiles again when Karen suddenly pipes up out "should we have dinner at Alice's?"Oh how quickly we

Madeira Grill, Petersham

Doesn't food always taste better on a stick? The Portuguese espetada takes things one step further.Meat. On a sword.I'm instantly sold.Complimentary bread and olivesMadeira Grill in Sydney's Little Portugal, Petersham, is not overly busy on a Friday night, although they are playing host to a large party 16 people. The tables are decked in white tablecloths, but the feel is more of a family

Busshari Authentic Japanese Restaurant, Potts Point

There's nothing like a pre-dinner show to whet the appetite.At Busshari, in Potts Point, it feels like you're entering a cabaret show. We enter the darkened entrance to be seated in a dimly lit room, the ceiling festooned with paper lanterns and the only bright lights directed over the sushi counter, clearly the centre stage.A row of patrons, mostly young and well-heeled, line the sushi counter,

Interview: Ten Questions with Matthew Evans - former SMH chief restaurant critic

A full-time food critic. Isn't that every food lover's dream job?From 2000 to 2005, Matthew Evans ate at over 2,000 restaurants in his role as chief restaurant critic for the Sydney Morning Herald. Never afraid to speak his mind, his reviews were always entertaining, even if they did occasionally land him in the law courts. When he retired in 2005, Good Living ran his final column as its cover

Bak Kut Teh, Soba and a Mountain of Kueh - Final Day in Singapore

Happy New Year!With a New Year's resolution to tidy up the house and the blog, I'm finally concluding the posts on my Singapore trip. Oh yes, Singapore, remember that?Our fifth and final day in Singapore greeted Suze and I with the usual sticky heat and humidity. The taxi ride to breakfast took a circuitous 15 rather than five minutes, but eventually we made it to the Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha Restaurant