Monday 31 May 2010

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

Sunday 30 May 2010

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

Wednesday 26 May 2010

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

Monday 24 May 2010

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

Sunday 23 May 2010

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,

Wednesday 19 May 2010

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

Sunday 16 May 2010

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

Wednesday 12 May 2010

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

Sunday 9 May 2010

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

Wednesday 5 May 2010

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

Tuesday 4 May 2010

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

Sunday 2 May 2010

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