Misky Cravings, Fairfield

So we all know that Paddington Bear came from darkest Peru, but what did he eat before arriving in London? Peruvian cuisine incorporates a fascinating mix of influences, with immigrants from Spain, China, Italy, West Africa and Japan all leaving their mark on what have now become national dishes.

There are a couple of Peruvian restaurants around Sydney, but Misky Cravings is one of the newest

Stomachs Eleven: Christmas Dinner

Forget the presents, the suspiciously cheerful man in the red suit and the inescapable warbling of Mariah Carey. Christmas is all about family and friends. And food.

What better way to celebrate all that is good in life than sharing the best produce with those nearest and dearest to your heart? It's a philosophy that underpins much of what Stomachs Eleven is all about - our roving dinner party

Assam laksa, stingray and clay pot chicken: Kuala Lumpur in one weekend

There's only one thing I look forward to when I travel. The food. You can understand so much about a culture, a country and its history by simply digging into the local cuisine.

I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend, a whirlwind trip as a finalist in the Best Food Blog category for the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards. After an overnight flight via Melbourne, we landed early on

The Pie Tin, Newtown

You would never find the Pie Tin in Newtown unless you were looking for it, a discreet corner building in gun metal grey off the main King Street hub. But really there are plenty of reasons to visit, and all of them involve the word PIE.


Black forest meringue pie; apple rhubarb pie and The Pie Tin exterior

The wet and miserable Sydney weather of late has given us one great big silver lining

Grandma's Bar, Sydney

What's in a name? Everything, I say, especially if you get to say "Let's go to Grandma's!" with genuine enthusiasm on a Friday night.

I'd like to think that the proliferation of small bars in Sydney illustrates an appreciation for the quirky, independent business run on heart and soul, but is it also mandatory to make the bar as hard to find as possible? Is the secret entrance all about

Hot Wings Eating Competition - Wing Wednesday at the Northbridge Hotel

Competitive eating. Despite its popularity in the States, competitive eating is still a novelty event in Australia - a wise thing, many would argue, given obesity rates and the environmental cost of food. But just like the guilty pleasures of reality tv, you can't help but watch, mesmerised by the sight of  ordinary people determined to ignore their stomach's warning signals.



Nachos $10

At

Encasa Deli, Sydney

The newly opened Encasa Deli is not like its neighbours. It's a little piece of Madrid on Bathurst Street, smack bang in the middle of the CBD. Giant salamis - from Rodriguez Brothers in Yagoona - hang over a display cabinet groaning with whole legs of jamon, wheels of cheese and terracotta dishes piled with plump and glistening olives.


Olives stuffed with walnuts and haloumi cheese $8.50 (

Everest Kitchen, Marrickville

It's easy to dismiss Nepali food as being 'kinda like Indian' but there are just as many differences as similarities. Although both cuisines feature plenty of curries, Nepalese dishes tend to be less spicy, and based around tomatoes, not yoghurt or coconut milk or cream.

Keen to find out more, I headed to Everest Kitchen in Marrickville for this month's Eat This column in Time Out Sydney.

BLACK by ezard at The Star, Pyrmont, Sydney

To marrow. To marrow. I love you. Oh marrow.

If Annie had discovered the divine pleasures of bone marrow, surely she would have sung a different tune.

Marrow is the only thing on our minds when we head to BLACK by ezard, the latest venture by Melbourne chef Teage Ezard, opening at The Star casino. Ezard is the creative force behind two hat restaurant ezard and Asian street food diner

Project 8 Cafe, Ultimo

In a city that feels increasingly over-run with food and drink franchises, Project 8 is a breath of fresh [caffeinated] air. It's a hip but slouchy kind of cafe - a mix of good coffee, cool music and an affordable snacks menu making it a popular hangout for local university students.

Free range eggs with avocado and tomato on toasted sourdough, for example, will only set you back $7.50. It

Izakaya Fujiyama, Surry Hills

If there's one dish you must order at Izakaya Fujiyama, it's the tuna jaw. This behemoth of bones, fin, gills and cartilage is one of life's pleasures - a testament that good eating can be found in the most unlikeliest of places, and that foraging for your own food provides endless fun.


Sushi bar counter at Izakaya Fujiyama

I'm dining with thefoodpornographer and Juji Chews tonight, both

Caysorn, Haymarket

Sydney may be over-run with Thai restaurants (hello Newtown) but newcomer Caysorn comes with a difference - serving up dishes from the country's south. Typically these dishes are heavier, more robust with spices, and have a chilli factor that is off-the-charts hot.


Decor inside Caysorn
You'll find Caysorn on level one of the Prince Centre in Chinatown, above Menya and the Chinese dumpling

Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011: Food Blog Finalist

Today I'm pleased to announce that Grab Your Fork is a shortlisted finalist for the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 in the category Best Food Blog. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote my first blog post. That was over 7 1/2 years ago. Way back in 2004, the idea of food blogging was a relatively new concept. Who took photos of their food before eating it? Now all the cool kids are

Quay, Sydney

It was the perfect plan. Splurging on a dinner at Quay can always be difficult to justify in your budget, but if you have a fellow food lovin' friend who also happens to be a Scorpio, you can very easily take each other for a birthday treat! Everybody wins!


The whiskey trolley

We arrive early for our 6pm booking, allowing us plenty of time to appreciate the harbour views. The decor is

No Name Italian Restaurant, Darlinghurst

Who needs fancy? You won't find it at No Name Italian Restaurant, a local eating house in the back streets of Darlinghurst that's been feeding the cash-strapped and hungry for decades. The back alley entrance is rather ominous - just a steep set of stairs at the end of a brightly lit corridor. The dining room is just as bare - more like a cafeteria with laminex tables and a service counter

Gastro Park, Potts Point

It's the name that gets everyone at first. Gastro Park? Head chef Grant King (ex-Pier) has a sense of humour and a quest for adventure, as diners slowly realise they've been let loose in a fun park of a menu. The critics can't seem to get enough of it, and after only six months of trade, Gastro Park was awarded two hats in the SMH Good Food Guide 2012.

The restaurant itself doesn't give much

Sonido!, Fitzroy, Melbourne

It was the lure of hot chocolate and cheese that brought us to Sonido. Hot chocolate and cheese? Say it isn't so!

We'd stumbled along Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne, early on a Sunday morning, taking in the eclectic mix of boutique clothing shops, vintage stores, art galleries and quirky cafes. Sonido was tucked away at the far end, barely noticeable but for an assortment of pint-sized

Cyprus Community Club, Stanmore - Aphrodite Restaurant

I've always thought that community clubs are some of the best hidden gems you'll ever find. This is food made by the people, for the people, where decor is secondary to what's served on the plate.


For my Eat This column in the October edition of Time Out Sydney I headed to the Cyprus Community Club in Stanmore.


Eat This...
Kleftiko

WHAT IS KLEFTIKO?
If you’ve never tried goat before,

Restaurant Arras, Sydney

It's back. The Restaurant Arras petits fours platter has always created a frisson of excitement.

Back too are newly weds Adam and Lovaine Humphrey, relocating Restaurant Arras from Walsh Bay to Clarence Street in the city, opening in the former digs of Becasse (and before that, Edna's Table).


Restaurant Arras decor
The interior has undergone a complete makeover. Gone are the Swarovski

Steersons King Street Wharf, Sydney

Let's face it. Sydney can be a bit of a meat market. But hey, if we're talking about steak, then who's complaining? The menu at Steersons Steakhouse reads like a matchmaking site for carnivores, providing detail on the origin of each candidate, its breeding credentials, prior diet and minimum weight. Oh if only it was always this easy...


Inside Steersons at King St Wharf

We arrive at

The Abercrombie, Broadway, Chippendale

Is there such a thing as too much fried? Nay, I say. If it can be dipped in batter, then go ahead and deep-fry that baby.

And that's just the way the folk behind the Abercrombie Hotel feel, too. First they gave us the deep-fried Gaytime. Now they've unleashed the joys of deep-fried pizza and Twinkies to the Sydney masses.


Fries with mayo and gravy $7

We make the mistake of presuming 

Sepia, Sydney

It really did look like a shard of glass, sinking in on itself  as though it had buckled from the heat of an inferno. We didn't know what it was as we snapped off pieces to eat, admiring its sleek surface, its amber brilliance and the bubbles trapped within.

Salt. And vinegar. And hints of chilli that was later revealed to be sansho pepper. The edible artwork prompts conversation around the

Tommy's Beer Cafe, Glebe

It's the stuff that dreams are made of. A whole bowl of pork crackling for only $4.20. It's a tangle of pork skin strips, deep-fried until bubbled and blistered, the long shoe string strips helplessly intertwined with each other in a porcine and cholesterol lovefest.


Inside Tommy's Beer Cafe

Tommy's Beer Cafe is one of a slew of newcomers to open up on Glebe Point Road, trading for at least

Spiedo, Xanthi and Chat Thai, Westfield Sydney

EDIT: Spiedo and Xanthi have both closed

The best type of shopping trip, I say, is one that involves feeding my stomach. The new Westfield Sydney may well be littered with stores, but I tend to bypass the bottom levels and head straight to the top - the dining levels.

Level six plays home to the newest set of culinary tenants: Spiedo, Xanthi, Chat Thai and Chinta Ria... Mood for Love. We were

Mohr Fish, Surry Hills

Has the humble fish and chip shop become a dying breed? Apart from the beach and coastal towns, they're few and far between in the suburbs, and even harder to find in the city. Nostalgia lives on at Mohr Fish, a humble Surry Hills corner takeaway tiled in white and powder blue.


Mohr Fish shopfront


Mohr Fish menu

There's a distinct price difference between eating in and takeaway, and we

Chinta Ria... Mood for Love, Sydney

It's easy to guess the inspiration behind Simon Goh's newest restaurant.  The concept behind Chinta Ria... Mood for Love draws heavily on the 2000 movie In the Mood for Love, written and directed by Kar Wai Wong. It's an idea that has been brewing for the past ten years, Simon says, finally coming to fruition this week when the restaurant opened its doors to the public on level six at Westfield

Crave SIFF: BBQ Madness and World Chef Showcase with Mauro Colagreco, Mark Best and David Lebowitz

You couldn't miss them. Two whole lambs spinning slowly over a charcoal, the skin slowly blistering to a deep golden hue. They'd been on the barbecue since 5am, we were told, tended carefully by chef David Tsireka of Xanthi. By the time they were carved for eating, they would have been slow-cooked for six glorious hours.

The Crave Sydney International Food Festival started off with a bang last

Azuma Kushiyaki: Sugar Hit 2011

Throw away your belts, I say. You won't need them in October which is now synonymous with the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.

There'll be countless fooding events happening all over Sydney during the coming month. One of the most popular features is always the Sugar Hit, a chance to enjoy a special late night dessert at participating restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels.


Crab roll

Mario Tokyo Pizza, Strathfield

Bulgogi pizza

Forget about the pineapple on pizza debate. Mario Tokyo throws all the pizza rules out the window with toppings like strips of sweet bulgogi beef and potato wedges. For this month's Time Out Sydney column I headed to Strathfield to check it out.


Eat This...Bulgogi pizza

WHAT IS IT?
Bulgogi pizza ($15.90) is what you get when Korea and Italy collide in the kitchen. Start with

Cafe Ish, Surry Hills

Where can you find a cheap lunch in Sydney? Frugal is not a dirty word at Cafe Ish, which celebrates Tight Ass Tuesdays with ten eleven dishes for only ten dollars.

This cosy corner cafe bar makes a point of mixing up Japanese flavours with Australian native ingredients. Here you'll find crocodile coated in Panko crumbs and covered in Japanese curry; potato and fetta mochi with Davidson plum

Bling Bling Dumpling, Broadway Ultimo

EDIT: Bling Bling Dumpling has closed. It has now been replaced by Papa Rich.

It was the name that drew us in. Bling Bling Dumpling? How could we refuse? The former site of Dim Sum House has undergone only a modest makeover. Most noticeable is the striking black signage out the front, complete with an image of a huge sparkling diamond - guaranteed to draw in the crowds!


Takeaway dumplings

Recipe: Salted Peanut Butter, Pretzel and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

This cookies should come with a warning: one cookie is never enough. Combining salted peanuts, pretzels and dark chocolate would have been a madcap idea once upon a time, but now it seems like everyone is on the salty and sweet bandwagon. With good reason. It's deliriously good.

There's something intriguing about the way salty and sweet play off against each other. The sweetness of a dessert

Menya Oiden, Sydney

If you don't know what kushiage is, then take a seat, loosen your belt and let me explain. It's all about bite-sized nibbles of meat, vegetables and seafood, jammed on a skewer, dipped in batter and panko breadcrumbs and then deep-fried until all your dreams come true.

Kushiage is one of the major drawcards at Menya Oiden, a new opening in Skyview Plaza next door to its sister outlet Menya

Stomachs Eleven: Japanese dinner party

Everyone loves a dinner party - it's just finding a willing host that's half the problem! J-Girl and Jon-Boy volunteered to host our latest Stomachs Eleven dinner, a group of keen food lovers who take turns to cook a group meal.


Barbecuing skate wings
Even when he's not hosting, Pig Flyin' is always on-hand with a special treat or two. Within minutes of arriving, he and Mrs Pig Flyin' were

The Carrington, Surry Hills

Good food. That's the secret. 

The Carrington, formerly a sleepy and seedy hotel pub, has been overhauled into a Spanish tapas bar that is now heaving each night with locals. We arrive at 6pm on a Tuesday and by 6.30pm the bar is practically full.

Chef Jamie Thomas has created a menu littered with Iberian snacks, from bite-sized pintxos of kingfish pastrami and olives, to platos grande that

Xanthi, Sydney

EDIT: Xanthi has closed

The best part about Xanthi? For me, it's the view into the kitchen. The three windows at the entrance to this slick new eatery may all be square, but it's just as fun as Play School, with an equally fascinating scene unrolling within each one.


Xanthi

Xanthi is the big budget move by David Tsirekas, head chef and owner of the now-closed Perama, a Greek standout and

Recipe: Dark chocolate and sour cherry cookies

You can't beat a homemade cookie. There's a purity of sweetness that comes with baking from scratch, although others might say it's the unmistakable addition of love.

These dark chocolate and sour cherry cookies aren't difficult to make, but they do involve pre-planning and patience, as the batter must be chilled before and after rolling them into balls for baking. These are based on a Bourke

Izakaya Den, Melbourne

Den fried chicken $10

Everybody loves a secret. Is this why all the hot new bars and restaurants are deliberately difficult to find? We had all heard great things about Izakaya Den in Melbourne, but without Minh to lead the way, I don't think we would have ever found the entrance, marked only by a discreet silver plate stamped with "Den".

We push our way through the glass doors of an office

Baker Street, Ultimo

Caramel eclair

Baker Street is another one of Sydney's classic hidden secrets. From the outside it looks like a simple coffee shop set-up in a converted terrace, but step inside and owner Juan Duret's display cabinet beckons with a raft of traditional Argentinian treats.


Baker Street

The cafe offers bacon and egg rolls, burgers and pies and is a popular haunt for local ABC workers and TAFE

Freebie Friday: Win a box of mooncakes (four to win)

Moon Festival falls on September 12 this year, and to celebrate, Grab Your Fork has four boxes of mooncakes to giveaway thanks to Amyson.

The Casahana range includes flavours beyond the usual red bean and lotus, and comes packed in pretty re-usable boxes. Because Moon Festival is next week, this competition is only open for six days so get your entries in now!

The prizes
Four lucky Grab Your

Behind-the-scenes tour of the galley kitchen on the P&O Pacific Pearl cruise ship

Exactly where and how does a ship prepare 8,600 meals every day for the passengers and crew onboard at sea? A behind-the-scenes tour of the Pacific Pearl main kitchen held all the answers.


The Chef's Table

The galley tour forms part of the recently launched Chef's Table, held in the privately enclosed Wine Room and bookable by any passenger. Up to three Chef's Table dinners for 14 passengers

El Capo, Surry Hills

El Capo means "the boss", and there's no question about who's in charge here. From the bad ass murals on the wall, to the pallet-load of dollar bills that doubles as a stool, El Capo feels like a seedy drug den come-to-life comic book-style.


El Capo

The pine tables are set with buckets of help-yourself cutlery and a box of domino tiles. The chairs are a colourful mix of wooden and metal

Olka Polka Bakery & Deli, Campbelltown

It's a long journey on the train out to Campbelltown, but the trip is well worth it when there's freshly baked rye bread at the other end. For my latest column for Time Out Sydney I headed to Olka Polka, a Polish bakery and deli that's been a godsend for homesick ex-pats for almost a decade. 

The business has no relation to Sammy and Bella Jakubiak, the NSW sisters who used the same name for

Salt Grill by Luke Mangan

It's true. The main thing you have to look forward to on a cruise is the food. With four days at sea on-board the P&O Pacific Pearl, our seemingly endless hours of idleness were broken only by meal times. Our visits to Salt Grill by Luke Mangan were a particular highlight.


Salt Grill by Luke Mangan

Dining at Salt Grill incurs a nominal surcharge for passengers ($30 at lunch and $40 at dinner

El Loco, Surry Hills

Food should always be fun, which probably explains why I've taken such a shining to El Loco of late. There's nothing fancy, with Mexican-style street food served in takeaway trays and margaritas dispensed in plastic cups, but that's half the appeal - chowing down on messy deliciousness as you perch on a metal stool at a table covered in plastic prints.


El Loco Mexican cantina y barra

El Loco

Cumulus Inc, Melbourne

It's barely 10am but we just manage to score one of the last remaining tables at Cumulus Inc, the casual cafe bar restaurant by Cutler & Co's Andrew O'Connell. The room is bright and airy, warm with the chatter of breakfast diners and the constant hum of the coffee machine. A dark bar counter runs against the window side of the room; on the other side is the marble white counter of the open

Eating and Drinking Sydney Guide

Who said food blogging didn't get you anywhere?

I was pretty taken aback when I was approached to be one of the editors for the new Eating and Drinking Sydney guide earlier this year. It's the kind of offer a food writer dreams about, and then freaks out over, when you realise the magnitude of responsibility this position entails.

As editor for the Cheap and Cheerful section, I was entrusted

P&O Cruises: On-board the Pacific Pearl

I'll admit it. I've never understood the appeal of cruises. I would look at those hulking great ships in the harbour and ponder the phonebook-sized passenger lists that could qualify as a small city. I imagined being stuck with a boat-load of American retirees in matching tracksuits called John and Barbara or Bob and Nancy. I had nightmares of a floating RSL with daggy carpet, bland buffets and

Concrete Blonde, Potts Point

The best table in a restaurant, I say, is one that gives you a view of all the action in the kitchen. At   new Potts Point hot spot Concrete Blonde -- barely open for eight weeks -- this means everyone. It's hard not to keep staring at the whole Tinder Creek ducks, slowly rotating over coals as the five-spiced skin develops a crispy tan. The long and expansive fully-exposed kitchen offers

Burch & Purchese and LuxBite, South Yarra, Melbourne

Is there a faster way to happiness than dessert? We weren't particularly organised with an eating schedule on our recent trip to Melbourne, but we did have two patisseries on our hit list: Burch & Purchese and LuxBite.


Burch & Purchese
Like bumbling interstate tourists we hopped on the tram towards Toorak, barely realising our poorly timed journey until a tidal wave of school boys engulfed

Abercrombie Hotel, Chippendale

Deep fried Gaytime. Because surely a coating of batter could only make this sentimental childhood favourite even better than we remembered? It's not the only thing we're excited about as we head into the newly re-opened Abercrombie Hotel, resurrected after closing for more than a year.


Booth seating and library shelves

The Abercrombie was always a popular haunt for university students,

Casa Brasil, Petersham

Churrasco is a carnivore's dream come true. In Brazil, churrasco means barbecue, a meat-fest of assorted cuts and proteins cooked on skewers over charcoal or a grill. The common way of enjoying churrasco in Brazil is rodizio-style, where waiters carry skewers of meat around the restaurant and carve slices for diners on demand. It's always all-you-can-eat.


Palma Louca Brazilian pilsener and

Naked for Satan, Fitzroy, Melbourne

The world needs more pintxos. These bite-sized snacks aren't common in Australia, but they're found all over bars in northern Spain, usually available at a self-serve counter for patrons and eaten at leisure over a beer.

Pintxos means spike in Basque (pinchos in Spanish), referring to the toothpick that holds the ingredients together, often on top of a piece of bread. You take your time to

Grasshopper Bar, Sydney

Grasshopper may be completely hidden to the average passerby, but that seems to be half the appeal for the Sydney suits and hipster crowd that spill out the front of this laneway bar each weeknight. There are no signs on the street to indicate its existence, but those in-the-know head down the narrow alley off George Street, unmarked but for the remarkably appropriate street sign "Temperance

The Good Kitchen, Hurstville

The Hong Kong cafe is where cost and efficiency are valued over décor and conversational niceties. Expect your order to be taken within two minutes of being handed the menu and your food to arrive shortly after.

For my Eat This! column in the July issue of Time Out Sydney, I headed to Hurstville where comfort food equals pan-fried spam, condensed milk on toast and the calorific glory that is

Din Tai Fung, Sydney

Half the fun of dining at Din Tai Fung is the chance to watch the dumpling makers in action, clearly visible through the glassed-in kitchen out the front. There's always something to look at - from the man stretching a skipping rope of noodles by bouncing it effortlessly onto the metal bench; to the secret huddle of staff deftly folding dumplings in the corner; to the man checking the bamboo

Stomachs Eleven: Bone marrow, pig's trotters Pierre Koffmann and truffled hens

If you ever have a bone to pick with someone, make sure it's a marrow bone. It was this sight of marrow bone towers that excited me most when I arrived at the home of Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin' for our latest Stomachs Eleven adventure.


Appetisers to start

The members of our merry dining crew have all been terribly spoilt by the generosity of Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin'. Our original aim was to rotate

Yukis at the Quay, Sydney

Today's assorted sashimi - Chef's selection $45

It's quite a romantic stroll along the waterfront at the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The winking city lights, the toot-toot of ferries and there in the distance: the sleepy sails of the Opera House, curled over as if mid-nap.

Hidden up high on the fourth floor of the Overseas Passenger Terminal is Yukis, accessed by a glass elevator that

Badde Manors, Glebe

"Wow, everyone ordered vegetarian," says Mrs Presley, and it's only then she realises that everything on Badde Manors menu is completely meat and seafood-free.

It's a commendable feat that this fact slipped unnoticed, the comprehensive menu littered with a range of dishes that all sound tempting and filling. We skip our eyes down the page that includes stuffed crumbed mushrooms, Cajun-spiced

Tomahawk steak at Chophouse, Sydney

Some women like to be wooed with flowers, handbags or jewellery, but seriously, who wants glittering trinkets when you can sink your teeth into a premium steak with gusto? Serve me one of these on a plate and I'm definitely calling you again.

We'd gathered at the Chophouse for dinner, but there was only one thing I really wanted to order - the tomahawk steak. It's a gargantuan-sized cut of

La Brasserie, Darlinghurst

Every Sunday, says Jacques Reymond, he smells disaster in his neighbourhood.

"It's the smell of burning meat. Australians burn their meat until it's black." He shakes his head in dismay. "To cook meat you need to be gentle." He can't understand the Australian appreciation for charred protein.

Reymond, head chef and owner of the three-hat Jacques Reymond - Cuisine du Temps in Melbourne, is

Yok Yor Thai Food Factory, Haymarket Chinatown Sydney

Chefs wearing hard hats in the kitchen? It's hard not to be bemused by a team of chefs wearing bright yellow helmets and overalls at Yok Yor Thai Food Factory.

It was Suze who spotted the opening of this new restaurant on Campbell Street first, opposite Chilli Cha Cha near the corner of Castlereagh Street. Initially she'd mistaken the staff for construction workers until she realised it was

Lot 10, Jalan Alor and 1m roti tisu, Kuala Lumpur

Waffles with blueberry compote, toffeed hazelnuts and cream


I'm not a morning person at the best of times, but it's amazing how the promise of fresh waffles can get you out of bed with a smile.

Our one-week trip to Malaysia was fast drawing to an end, and we farewelled Melaka with a final breakfast at The Majestic. It's a little bit fancy, with cereal, yoghurt and freshly sliced fruits

Mecca Espresso, Ultimo

Mecca Espresso Ultimo had only been trading for four months when it was announced as winner of  Best Cafe in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide.

Since then, business has been brisk at this corner cafe, far removed from its previous incarnation as a struggling Gloria Jeans outlet. The premise has been completely refurbished: a mixture of recycled timbers, bare brick walls and old wooden

Iiza, Newtown

The popular Iiza Japanese izakaya (or tavern) on buzzing King Street is always filled with people, but not many patrons realise there's a private dining area upstairs available for groups.

Function menus range in price from $35-$50 per person with a minimum of ten people. The room can accommodate up to forty, seated on wooden benches.


Tempura prawn sushi roll in egg crepe

We've opted for

The Dip at GOODGOD, Sydney

There's no denying it. Sydney is currently riding the wave of an American food obsession. Pulled pork. Hot dogs. Nachos. Sydneysiders have taken up snacking with the hunger of a growing teenager.

The Dip, hidden within the bowels of the GOODGOD nightclub, has all your cheese-laden carbohydate cravings covered. The former La Campana site is barely recognisable, converted into a dark and cosy

Becasse Chef's Table, Sydney

If there's one thing you notice about Justin North's kitchen, it's how quiet it is. Forget the stereotyped image of a raging head chef barking orders at his brigade; the Becasse kitchen sounds more like a library, with a young team working steadily and efficiently under the guidance of head chef Monty Koludrovic.

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at the Chef's Table at Becasse, ahead of

Taste Food Tour in Bankstown - Freebie Friday Winner

Congratulations to JasmyneTea who has won two tickets to a Taste Food Tour in Bankstown worth $160.

Missed out this time? You can still enter to win a 12-month subscription to the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. Enter now!

King Valley Prosecco Road

Where is King Valley? It's a wine-growing region in north-eastern Victoria, not far from Albury and the border of New South Wales. Recently it's been marketed as Prosecco Road, one of the few places in Australia to be growing prosecco, a grape variety used to produce the popular Italian sparkling wine - a key ingredient in the famous peach bellini.

I was recently asked by Tourism Victoria to

Akash Pacific Cuisine, Liverpool

There's more to Liverpool than first meets the eye, and this south-western suburb in Sydney is impressively diverse. According to the 2006 census, more than half of the population was born overseas. You'll find sari shops, African hair braiding salons and Croatian delis before you eventually end up at the mammoth Westfield shopping centre, looming over the pedestrianised mall.

For this month's

Updated response to "Everyone's a Critic"

The ensuing discussion after my post on the Weekend Australian article on food blogs has only illustrated the fervent passion by everyone involved in this topic: food bloggers, food blog readers, journalists, public relations consultants, chefs and restaurateurs.

I've added some extra comment to my original post which I think was necessary after reading some of the questions raised in the

Everyone's a Critic

"With more than 800 food blogs in Australia, traditional restaurant reviewers are under challenge. But is this really a triumph for democracy?"
Eagle-eyed readers would have noticed the article, Everyone's a Critic, written by Elizabeth Meryment in The Weekend Australian magazine.

Even after reading the final piece several times, I'm still not sure what my final thoughts are. There are a

Melaka Central Market and cooking with Florence Tan and Adam Liaw

You haven't really visited a city until you've seen its market. On our second day in Melaka, we woke early for a morning visit to Melaka Central Wet Market, hosted by the bright and bubbly Malaysian chef, Florence Tan.


Melaka Central Market


Florence Tan with Adam Liaw

The markets are lively with activity, vendors cajoling their wares, and locals patiently inspecting each item of produce.

Sabbaba, Newtown

"Get some balls!" Sabbaba, the long-time Israeli falafel favourite in Bondi, is one of the newest additions to King Street, opening in Newtown late last year.

Graffiti-scrawled walls (by professional graffiti artist Jeremy Hession) and mismatched furniture lend it some urban charm.



The menu is on a clipboard, with a dizzying selection of options that could easily leave you dazed and

Narooma Oyster Festival

How much do I love oysters? I once ate 60. In one sitting. Plump, briny and full of minerals, surely oysters are the perfect ready-to-eat meal.

We headed to the annual Narooma Oyster Festival earlier this month after an invite by NSW Tourism. The weather was perfect - clear blue skies and an easy five-hour drive down the south coast.




Great Southern Hotel


Great Southern Hotel

We made a

Freebie Friday: Win a 12 month subscription to the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School

So everyone's been watching MasterChef Australia (go #teambilly!) but are we really heading back into the kitchen to cook?

You'll be able to solve your dinner dilemma with this week's Freebie Friday: a 12-month subscription to the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School.

Jules Clancy is a qualified food scientist who threw in her job as a chocolate biscuit designer (yes, really) and turned her food

Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine, Melaka

Malacca or Melaka? The official name for Malaysia's third smallest state should be Melaka, we're told by our friendly guide. The traditional Malay spelling was reinstated after the city centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Malacca is the British spelling - still used for the Malacca Straits that run between the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

Our

Omerta, Darlinghurst

Omerta means 'union of families' says the Omerta restaurant website, even though Wikipedia maintains it refers to the code of silence used by the Mafia.

A long communal table runs down the middle of the room, lined with bentwood chairs and ready for a family feast. Above the doorway to the kitchen hang bunches of herbs and heavy industrial grade whisk and beater attachments. You could easily

Freebie Friday: Win two tickets to a Taste Food Tour in Bankstown

Always looking for your next food adventure? Then this week's Freebie Friday is for you!


THE PRIZE
Two tickets to a Taste Food Tour in Bankstown. Vouchers can be used for a food walking tour of your choice including:
Arabic Adventure
Cafe Crawl
European Explorer
Middle Eastern Treats
Out of Africa
Sugar & Spice
Tastes of Asia
World Fare
Prize value: $160 (six-month expiry)
Current tour

Imbi Market, Yut Kee and Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

Forget the museum, the art gallery, the church or the zoo. Wet markets are one of my favourite plates to visit when aboard, the culinary underbelly of a city with its maze of makeshift stalls, occasional puddles, and smiling locals determined to feed the people with good fresh produce, poultry and seafood.

Our second day in Malaysia would take us to Imbi Market, one of the last surviving wet

Malaysia food tour with Adam Liaw: Nasi lemak, roti and char kway teow

Oh Malaysia. It was like I never left you.

Last Sunday night I landed in Kuala Lumpur with a contingent of fellow journalists, invited on a week-long media famil of Malaysia. The trip was a follow-up to the phenomenally successful Malaysia Kitchen Food Market, and the invitation to attend was definitely a rhetorical question. Adam Liaw, MasterChef season two winner and official ambassador for

Kambozza, Parramatta

EDIT: Kambozza is now closed.

This month's Time Out Sydney column is all about Burmese food. I headed to Kambozza in Parramatta and found a nine-page menu filled with traditional Burmese dishes.


Eat this...Mohinga

WHAT IS IT?
Mohinga ($6.50) is the unofficial national dish of Burma, a fish noodle soup that is eaten primarily for breakfast, but is popular at lunchtime and dinner too. Find it

Marco Pierre White masterclass

Marco Pierre White's reputation precedes him. Vaunted as one of the original bad boy chefs, Marco is infamous for his history of kitchen rage: legendary incidents that include kicking out customers from his dining room if they clicked their fingers at a waiter, and cutting open the back of a young chef's uniform with a sharp knife when he complained about the heat in the kitchen.

And yet

Crab, marmite pork ribs and 1m roti, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Forget the humble nut cracker. I love that in Malaysia you get a little hammer to crack open your crab.

After three days in Phuket exploring James Bond and Phi Phi islands, we make our way back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a finale of shopping and eating. Crab has been at the top of our To Eat list, and we head to Wong Poh in Petaling Jaya, a local favourite famous for their crab.


Pickled

Freebie Friday: Win 1 of 3 copies of Voracious

Hungry? Sink your teeth into Voracious, a collection of newly commissioned essays that celebrates "The Best New Australian Food Writing". Many of you will have already read my contribution, ABC, detailing my experiences on growing up as first generation Australian, and my thoughts on reconciling my cultural heritage with my nationality.

The good folk at Hardie Grant have kindly offered up

Phi Phi Island, Thailand

"Maya Bayyyyy....... Maya Bayyyyyy......"

Our second island day trip from Phuket felt more like a cattle call as we were herded into groups, labeled with stickers and then hustled along to our waiting speedboat, ready to take us to Phi Phi Island.

Our squawking guide was a stark contrast to the quiet start the day before, a tour to James Bond Island that included sea canoes and cave systems.

Voracious: The Best New Australian Food Writing

My name. On the front cover of a book! I'm so pleased I can finally reveal my work has been published in Voracious, a collection of newly commissioned essays that celebrates "The Best New Australian Food Writing"

It's one matter to have my words published in a book with my byline, but to be included with noted food writers like Gay Bilson, Jill Dupleix, Matthew Evans, Helen Greenwood, Alan

Freebie Friday: Win a $100 gourmet food hamper from eFarmersMarket

It's Freebie Friday time! This week's prize comes to you from eFarmersMarket, a new online shopping site for Australian handcrafted artisan products. The current range covers 750 Australian small batch items, spanning from teas and jam, to olive oils and local honey.





THE PRIZE

One lucky reader will win a gourmet hamper worth $100 that includes:
Lynwood Angelo's Plum Jam - Collector NSW

Becasse Chef's Table, Sydney

Dining at a Chef's Table has always been my idea of bliss. I'd much rather forgo the silver service of a dining room and be a fly on the wall of a restaurant's kitchen. It's here, in the inner sanctum, that the true heart and soul of a restaurant can be found.

I'd first spied the Chef's Table at Becasse during the launch party, and was immediately struck by how thoughtfully this feature had

James Bond Island, Phuket, Thailand

On our holiday to Malaysia last year, we ended up taking a detour to Phuket. We had two full days in Phuket, and like most tourists in the area, we booked ourselves on a island-hopping boat tour.

We went with Holiday Sea Canoe to see James Bond Island, involving a 7.30am transfer from our hotel to the pier at Ao-Poh in Phuket's north. Our boat is large, with about 25 tourists on-board, and a

Becasse, Din Tai Fung and Sassy's Red, Westfield Sydney

The hand bag stool - it's one of several new features at Becasse, which relocated from Clarence Street to Westfield Sydney last week. The idea came from head chef and owner, Justin North, who had noticed female diners at Becasse asking for a napkin to place on the floor to protect their handbags. Could there be any more reasons for women to swoon over Justin North?


Justin North

We're here on

Supermeal, Haymarket Chinatown

Sometimes even your best mates won't wait for the requisite food blogging photo. 

We'd stumbled into Supermeal for dinner after drinks at the pub - our party of ten hungry and ready to eat. Supermeal on Goulburn Street changed name (and owners?) from Superbowl a couple of years ago, although the Superbowl on Dixon Street continues. It's never been fancy - a backlit sign bright enough to give

Quarter Twenty One, Sydney

Quarter Twenty One is the latest ambitious undertaking by Justin and Georgia North, officially opening in Westfield Sydney late last week. The concept includes the relocated Becasse (moving from Clarence Street and shrinking in size from 70 to 24 seats), and expansion into a new modern European restaurant, cookery school, providore and a retail bakery. The size of the space is 700 square metres

121 BC and PIzza e Birra, Surry Hills

Even when your best-laid plans go awry, sometimes you can end up with the most brilliant night anyway.

We hadn't meant to eat dinner at Pizza e Birra. Our sights (and stomachs) had been set on Vini and we'd arrived early to secure a table. Too early, we soon discover, and we're directed across the road for a quick drink while they finish setting up.


121 BC, Surry Hills

Arancini $3 each

We

Fooding from Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Phuket, Thailand

Oh Malaysia photos. I haven't forgotten about you. A five-day weekend (how great was the break?!) was the perfect opportunity to delve into the archives. Sure none of us want to be back at work at our desks today, but here's a photo-rich post to get you back into the swing of things...

My last Malaysia post left you in Penang, Malaysia. We woke up early the next morning to make the 350km drive

The Eight, Haymarket

The Eight is the latest restaurant to take up residence on the third floor of Market City, undergoing a complete overhaul in interior design to match its modern Chinese fusion menu. A re-positioning of the entrance is the first thing that you'll notice on approach, no longer opposite the movie foyer but shifting around the corner to a more glamorous setting.

The restaurant name is no

Rowda Ya Habibi, Newtown

My favourite topic of conversation at breakfast? Lunch. I'm not a morning person at the best of times, but the promise of lunch - and the eating opportunities it brings - is usually enough to put a sparkle in my eyes.

Talk turned to fafafel and the fresh zing of tabbouleh, and by the time the clock strikes twelve, we find ourselves heading to Rowda Ya Habibi, Newtown for a much-needed Lebanese

Cafecito, Sydney

You will have walked past Cafecito hundreds of times. This busy cafe in Town Hall Arcade looks like any other sandwich shop until you step in a little closer and notice the Brazilian flag on the ceiling.



A handwritten menu behind the counter lists the usual sandwiches and salads, but buried on the far right is a listing of Brazilian options, most of it written in Portuguese. It can be a

To blog or not to blog

Recently I was approached to write an article for the second issue of Gourmet Rabbit, a boutique magazine with an emphasis on content from food industry professionals.

I remember when editor Denea Buckinghamfirst told a group of food bloggers about her plans to set up, produce and print a new food-focused publication. It sounded like the stuff of pipe dreams, but to her credit (and the stellar

Home Thai Restaurant, Sydney

"Honestly I'd just love to go somewhere with something like papaya salad...  and then put all energy into dessert, dessert, dessert."

Sydney's bustling food scene beckoned, but Hannah - in town for just one night from Canberra - knew exactly what she wanted. And I liked her way of thinking.

We head to Home on Sussex Street. Arriving at 5.45pm means we are able to waltz right in, but within

La Banette, Glebe

It's the smell of butter and sugar that hits me first. The heady aroma of caramelised sugar, chocolate, freshly baked bread and buttery pastries soaks its way into every pore as I stand at the doorway, on the brink of dessert delirium.


La Banette

La Banette is easy to miss if you're walking down the other side of Glebe Point Road. Once you know it's there, however, it's hard to resist a

Durban Dish, Baulkham Hills

Bunny chow

There were two things I knew I had to have on the menu at Durban Dish: bunny chow and chakalaka. How could anyone resist dishes with names like these?

It was the promise of South African food that led me to Baulkham Hills. This cosy family-run restaurant has been running for six years, but it's received minimal press or exposure. It was the perfect candidate for my monthly food and

Stitch Bar, Sydney

Stitch Bar is all about fun. It's there at the entrance, from the spools of thread in the window to the Singer sewing machine propping open the door.

The basement bar is one of the city's smallest, and it feels like half of Sydney is already here, cocktails in hand and chattering up a storm.


Stitch Bar

All the action is happening around the bar, a vision of gleaming bottles framed by

Quay Restaurant, Sydney

Peter Gilmore, Executive Chef, Quay

The whole point of restaurants, says Peter Gilmore, is to eat things you wouldn't bother making at home. He gestures at his mise en place, components of which take several hours, and says he would never make the dishes he makes at Quay at home. "Not unless I had a full kitchen team!" he says with a laugh.



It's my first time dining at Quay, and as I stride

Spice Temple, Sydney

Riesling, says Peter Barry, introduced thousands of Australian teenagers to wine. The sweetness of riesling makes them very drinkable for youth, and Peter appears to puff his chest proudly when he theorises that for many of us, rieslings are the first wine we will ever drink, sneaking a sip from our parents' glass.

Today I'm at Spice Temple, attending the national media lunch hosted by Jim

Baroque Bistro, The Rocks, Sydney

I'll admit it. We ended up at Baroque Bistro lured mostly by the promise of dessert.  We'd taken the selection of venues quite seriously - I'd even knocked up an online survey with a shortlist of options - and when the votes came in, the sweet tooths won with an overwhelming majority in favour of combining a bistro lunch with a patisserie finish.


Fresh baguettes
The last time I'd been here,

Au Lac Vegetarian Restaurant, Dickson, Canberra

It looks like roast duck, doesn't it? We lean in closer and admire the golden crackle of thin crisp skin, marvelling at its beauty, because guess what, this dish is completely vegetarian.

I'd been drawn to Au Lac not just for its entirely vegetarian Vietnamese menu, but for its reputation at creating mock meat dishes. The idea of vegetarians eating mock meat may sound a little ironic but

Central Hotel and District Dining, Surry Hills

EDIT: District Dining has closed

How can you eat a meal by Warren Turnbull for only $10? It's easy.

We all know Warren Turnbull as the head chef and owner of both Restaurant Assiette and District Dining, but few people realise that Warren and his team design and prepare the bar food menu at the cheap and cheerful Central Hotel.



The Central Hotel sits beneath District Dining, facing the

Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale

Beef nachos $12.50

Many a poor and thirsty student has ended up at the Lansdowne. For years it was famous for its $5 meals, and students from both USyd and UTS flocked there for a cheap feed and a schooner.



Prices have increased since then, but only slightly, and renovations have turned the first floor of the Lansdowne Hotel into a bright and airy space.



The main dining room has a school

Kammadhenu, Newtown

Egg hopper $3

The crispy bits are always the best part. That's what makes the hopper — a popular Sri Lankan breakfast or dinner — so delicious. It's nothing but crunch, a thin batter that is delicately lacy around the edges. The batter is fermented from rice flour and coconut milk, giving a slightly sour taste similar to sourdough. Hoppers can be cooked as plain or sweet, but we like ours with

Cho Dumpling King, Haymarket Chinatown

Cho Dumpling King is always surrounded by a queue of people. Often you'll find a staff member acting as bouncer to the crowds. She hands out menus with brusque efficiency, and it's only when you've placed your order that she'll put your table numbers down in her notepad queue.

The restaurant name is a bit of a misnomer. There are no dumplings to be found here. Instead it's a mix of Taiwanese

Restaurant Arras, Walsh Bay, Sydney

Don't look for a seat belt. Restaurant Arras is simply one helluva ride. Head chef and co-owner Adam Humphrey believes that all food should be fun, injecting the British dishes of his childhood with whimsy and humour.



A historic former bond store houses Restaurant Arras, awarded one hat in the SMH Good Food Guide in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The heritage-listed building is a moody mix of

Balut at Diem Hen, Canley Heights

Balut. If the thought of eating brains wasn't terrifying enough for many people, the word "balut" is usually uttered with shock, repulsion or -- conversely -- back-slapping bravado.

What is balut? It's a fertilised duck or chicken egg, incubated for 17-21 days so an embryo develops inside. The egg is steamed and eaten as a high protein delicacy in Southeast Asia. It's called khai luk in

Mad Cow, Sydney

Use your brain, I say, what did offal ever do to you?

Hearts, livers, intestines and tongues... I find it odd that so many people who fear offal, or think of it as 'disgusting' are the same ones who will happily plough into hot dogs and chicken nuggets: high processed foodstuffs that are commercially manufactured using mechanically separated meat or meat slurries. Liquefied meat never looked

La Casa Ristorante, Russell Lea

Polpette della Mamma $14
Mama's original style meatballs served with woodfired bread
The meatballs, says Tony Ruggeri, started off as a joke. He and his sister Carmel, co-owners of La Casa Ristorante, had always kidded around about putting their mum''s meatballs on the menu of their new restaurant. As the restaurant opening drew near, Tony said, why not? Let's put them on.

"Meatballs? Are you

Chilli Cha Cha, Haymarket

Somtum Pu papaya salad with fermented crab $11.90
You can smell a great papaya salad even before it arrives at the table. It's the strong whiff of fish sauce, the tingle of chilli, and for full flavour seekers, the salty pungency of fermented crab.

Diving into this birds nest of papaya salad is guaranteed to awaken the palate. Crunching your way through a tangle of shredded papaya, crunchy

Joe Papandrea South American butcher, Bossley Park

Entraña
A shopping adventure with Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin last weekend led us to Uruguayan butchery, Joe Papandrea in Bossley Park. We'd made our way there on recommendation of friends, who'd rejoiced when they finally found the South American cuts of meat they'd been missing from home.


Joe Papandrea Wholesale Quality Meats

The Bossley Park Shopping Complex is a strip of shops fronted with

Pho Pasteur, Haymarket, Sydney

Bánh hỏi chả giò seafood spring roll with steamed rice noodle $9.00

How can you not love a dish involving spring rolls? I'm a sucker for bánh hỏi chả giò at Vietnamese restaurants, the perfect excuse to crunch into spring rolls under the guise of eating a salad.

We've stopped in at Pho Pasteur on George Street several times lately, always filled with a gaggle of office workers, uni students,

Balkan Oven Burek Bakery Cafe, Rockdale

Rockdale is worth exploring on foot, a fascinating blend of cultures that sprawls across both sides of the Princes Highway. You'll find Halal butchers next to Asian grocery stores, and restaurants that specialise in Chinese, Thai, Bangladeshi, Greek and Himalayan cuisine. There's a giant used furniture shop on the corner, a supermarket selling Pakistani groceries in bulk, and Lebanese bakeries

Sydney Seafood School: Mark Best

"Noone ever died from good food," says Mark Best, as he adds another generous handful of salt to a pot of boiling water.

The crowd laughs with relief. I'm at the Sydney Seafood School and tonight's class is being led by Mark, chef and owner of three-hatted restaurant Marque.

The Sydney Seafood School underwent a major facelift in 2009, led by hospitality design specialist Michael McCann. The

Greenhouse by Joost, Sydney

Greenhouse by Joost is the latest pop-up restaurant to hit Sydney, an eco-friendly vision that doubles as a unique interactive art installation.

The converted shipping container looks right at home in Campbell Cove, its facade painted with butterflies and children. The entrance on the side is covered with miniature strawberry pots.




Melbourned-based Dutch artist Joost Bakker had always

Stomachs Eleven: Lunching heaven

The best part about a weekend lunch is being able to sleep-in, skip breakfast and scoot to your fabulous host, arriving ravenous and ready for maximum feasting.

I say this because today's was a Stomachs Eleven meet-up, a group of food-loving friends who each take turns to host a dinner or lunch. Today we headed to the home of Silvrlily and Super Mario.


Slicing the vegetable terrine

Pig

Malaysia Kitchen Food Market

Satay
String brightly coloured lanterns across a hidden laneway, add funky mirrored tables and plastic stools in colours of citrus and lime, and you have Sydney's newest food market, Malaysia Kitchen.




For three days only, Sydneysiders will be able to enjoy a tasting plate of three or four Malaysian dishes for only $10, dining al fresco for a weekday lunch or dinner.

Malaysia Kitchen is

Bau Truong, Cabramatta

 Salt and pepper duck tongue $20
So we all know about duck breast, legs and liver, but what about duck tongues? At Bau Truong, these usually discarded organs are dusted with seasoned flour, deep-fried and served up as the traditional Vietnamese dish, Luoi Vit Rang Muo, or salt and pepper duck tongue.

The duck tongues aren't half as intimidating when they arrive - the magic of deep-frying tends

Freebie Friday: Win VIP tickets to Taste of Sydney 2011

Welcome to this year's first Freebie Friday! We're giving away tickets to Taste of Sydney 2011 held again at Centennial Park. Taste of Sydney is one of twelve Taste Festivals hosted around the world, in cities that include London, Milan, Edinburgh, Dublin, Dubai, Cape Town and Amsterdam.

This year's line-up of participating restaurants and chefs are:
Etch and Charlie & Co - Justin North

Cafe Giulia, Chippendale

The biggest problem with Cafe Giulia is deciding what to choose. The blackboard menu stretches across six columns of food and drink items, a bewildering bonanza of choices that renders newcomers helpless with indecision.



Converted from a 100-year-old butcher shop, Cafe Giulia has been a long-running favourite with locals and uni students. Regular lunch-goers know to arrive early to avoid

Golden Moon, Sydney

EDIT: Golden Moon has closed


Peking Duck is my happy place. Part theatre, part luxury, eating a dish based purely on the crisp tiles of duck skin is like ordering a cake and having nothing but the icing for the first course - a deliriously decadent prospect.


Peking duck (2 courses) $49.80

At Golden Moon, the ducks are wood-smoked in brick ovens, visible through the glass windows of the

Tehran, Granville

Tehran, Granville
EDIT: Tehran is now closed

WHAT IS IT?
A suburban restaurant serving Iranian/Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?
A row of colourful cushions on the front benches welcome homesick patrons or diners curious to try Persian cuisine. The menu is a double-sided A4 laminate with 18 dishes, each accompanied by a colour photograph.


Zereshk Polo $10Saffron rice with

Silk Road Chinese Halal Restaurant, Haymarket

There are 116 different dishes on the foldout menu at Silk Road - each dish illustrated with a helpful photo - but I only want one thing. The Chinese hamburger.

"You really want the Chinese hamburger don't you," says Josh, as we work out which dishes to share.

I do. And I'm not budging.



Deciding on the rest of the dishes to order is no easy task, a kaleidoscope of dishes that cover the

Aseana Food Village, Randwick

The proper way to prepare teh tarik is by pouring the strong milky tea at great height from one metal cup into another, a thunderous waterfall that creates a foaming bubble of froth. It's a traditional method not always practised in Sydney restaurants, and so I'm mesmerised as we watch the spectacular tea pouring process in action at Aseana Food Village.



Aseana Food Villages sits away from

Thanon Khao San, Sydney

In a city over-run with Thai restaurants, the best Thai restaurants in Sydney converge around two city blocks that locals simply know as Thainatown.

I-San Thai was one of my favourite eats - cheap, cheerful and free of the incessant queues that plague Chat Thai around the corner - but sadly closed in late 2009. Thanon Khao San now takes it place, a little fancier and more upmarket than its

Eathouse Diner, Redfern

Low-key, cheerful and a little bit cheeky, Eathouse Diner is the kind of hangout everyone wishes they had in their neighbourhood. We follow the pointing finger instructing us to "eat here" and find ourselves in a deliberately kitsch American-style diner that is already half-full barely 15 minutes into service.



Turquoise walls trimmed with black-and-white check can't compete with the main

The Secret World of Culinary Bloggers

Readers of the Saturday Daily Telegraph in Sydney may have noticed the above article written by food editor Grant Jones on "The secret world of culinary bloggers", a somewhat odd title given the very public sphere in which we publish the minutiae of our lives and meals.

The feature makes some analysis of the growing influence of food blogs, including a quote that "one industry identity

Island Dreams Cafe, Lakemba

I'd known about Island Dreams Cafe in Lakemba in Sydney's south west for years, but never got around to eating there until last year. Island Dreams specialises in food from Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and it wasn't until I visited that I realised the local cuisine offers a unique take on many Malaysian dishes.

Island Dreams Cafe, Lakemba
WHAT IS ISLAND DREAMS?
A café

Little India, monkeys and the hunt for durian - Penang, Malaysia

Breakfast. If only I could wake up every morning with my head resting on a roti pillow.

After a mammoth day of feasting in Penang, we awoke determined to exercise a little more restraint with our appetites.

Wait, who am I kidding. We ate ourselves stupid. Yet again.


Kassim Mustafa


For breakfast we drove to Little India, a small but bustling area in the city of Georgetown, Penang.

Lord Wolseley Hotel, Ultimo

In the back streets of Pyrmont, you'll find the narrowest pub in New South Wales, the Lord Wolseley Hotel. Built in 1881, the pub still remains much of a local secret, the front bar scattered with mostly male patrons, quietly downing ice cold schooners.

The bistro at the rear of the pub is bright and modern, with a small dining room situated on a mezzanine level, above the bistro counter.

Piroshki at Adelaide Central Market - Taldy-Kurgan

Take a yeasted bun, stuff it, deep-fry it and you have a piroshki, a glorious golden street snack that originated in Russia. Piroshki can also be baked or plain, but I know I'd choose a blistering baptism in bubbling hot oil every time.

Fresh piroshki are not so easy to find in Sydney, which is why my heart skipped a beat when we  stumbled on the Taldy-Kurgan stall in the Adelaide Central

Stomachs Eleven: Thai dinner

Hot, sour, sweet, salty and bitter, Thai cuisine is renowned for its balance of all five in every mouthful.

Last year, several members of our roving dinner party group, Stomachs Eleven, jumped at the chance to travel to the hometown of Thai local, the G-Man. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it, as I was on my own fooding adventure around Malaysia, but everyone came back with photos and

1m roti tisu - Kayu Nasi Kandar

Remember the one metre tall roti tisu I waxed lyrical over during a recent trip to Malaysia?

Grab Your Fork reader, Winnie, did. She was so intent on hunting down this gravity-defying spectacle she printed off several of my Malaysian posts and packed it in her luggage for a holiday to Kuala Lumpur and Penang.


"My husband and I trekked to Petaling Jaya for a late dinner on January 3, 2011,

Mamak Village, Glebe

Barely two weeks old, Mamak Village is good news to inner west locals keen on a Malaysian roti fix but not quite prepared to brave the queues at Chinatown stalwart Mamak. The set-up is smaller, but a gleaming stainless counter out the front offers a peek at the theatrical display of roti production for passersby.



Only a few tables line the narrow corridor, but most customers are shepherded

Sideways Deli Cafe, Dulwich Hill

You seem them every weekend. Local cafes spilling over with couples, families and friends, escaping the confinement and drudgery of the house for a leisurely weekend breakast.

The click-click of the coffee machine, the smell of fresh espresso and the magical appearance of breakfast placed in front of you. This is the joy of breakfasting out. 



Sideways Deli Cafe in Dulwich Hill is not

China Doll, Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Why does sitting near water make a meal feel so good? The clip-clop of heels on a wooden pier,  the sight of boats in the distance and an abundance of natural light and space could easily trick you into thinking you were still on holiday.

Last night we headed to China Doll to bid bon voyage to Lex, chef and food blogger, who will be heading off to Canada shortly on a working holiday.

It was

A Penang Food Tour: Assam laksa, durian and Penang Road Famous Cendol

Assam laksa. An aromatic swamp of mackerel, tamarind, pineapple, chilli and mint,  I was determined to overdose on it as much as I could in Malaysia.

But first, we needed breakfast before we could hit the road to Penang, where their version of assam laksa is said to be the best. In the quiet town of Ipoh we found a dearth of places open at 9am, eventually settling for the ever-present

Yen for Viet, Marrickville

Is there a more perfect cuisine for summer than Vietnamese? Crunchy salads, sprigs of mint and splashes of sweet dressing, I know what I'm craving for whenever the mercury hits 30C.We turn up at new Vietnamese restaurant Yen for Viet to find a modern airy restaurant, the wall painted a cheerful cherry red, and hung with minimalist line drawings of cyclists and motorcyclists in Vietnam.The