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