Jimmy Liks, Potts Point

After having heard people talk about Jimmy Liks in Potts Point, I recently dined there with a 50% off internet deal. Asian shared style eating is always great for group dining so I went with a table of 4 so we could try a lot of dishes.

My first impressions were that I really liked the decor - with its long tables and mood lighting I could see it being an awesome group event place, especially because set menus always work well with asian food. I'm sad to say the positive comments mostly stop there. I certainly didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was great and if it weren't for the 50% off I would probably have felt more negatively towards it.

The cuisine isn't strictly from any particular region, instead the menu reads like a 'Best of' South East Asia and Chinese influenced dishes.

Son-in-law free range duck egg $8.50

I love soft shell crab ($23) so we had to order this - it was crispy and tasty, though every asian restaurant nowadays does a decent rendition so it wasn't ground breaking.

This was my favourite dish of the day - crispy skin salmon with watermelon salad ($28). It was fresh, the salmon perfectly cooked just a bit under, with a nice mix of zesty dressing and watermelon. 

Twice cooked sticky pork hock (large size for $29) - this dish was so rich and hard to eat by the end, and it wasn't because it was bad necessarily, it just felt like every other dish in terms of flavour but with a heavy fatty pork hock. 

The duck was meh. And I love duck! But this was just average. Mainly because the flavour base was a sticky sweet sauce which you can see at the base of the dish. Just not how we expected crispy skin duck to be served!

Crispy skin half duck ($35)

Char grilled roti bread ($5 a piece)

So overall the problem really lies with the fact Jimmy Liks isn't the cheapest, and then everything kind of tasted the same. Every dish seemed to have the same flavour base and while at least everything wasn't overpoweringly spicy (which I hate, because it just kills any sense of taste you might have), all the sauces lacked punch. So then you just added more sauce and got overdosed on sweet MSG. When you can get such amazingly authentic, cheap asian food in Sydney, it's a pity that Jimmy Liks didn't live up to the hype for me. That said, we didn't drink cocktails with our meal but we saw others drinking what looked to be amazing concoctions, so maybe that's the trick, to get happy on alcohol?

Life in Photos: March 2014

It's already April with Easter around the corner, and Summer officially over and I'm sitting at home on a dreary Sunday seeing the rain just literally fall all day long. But I love the guilt-free feeling of staying indoors when the weather is crapola and what better time to catch up with some reading and blogging!

So March was actually quiet for me, but I still managed to do some fun things to enjoy the last of the beautiful Sydney Summer.

I had one last beach trip - and the ice cream boat stopped by!

Have any other Sydneysiders noticed the beautiful colurful sunsets we've been getting lately? I took a walk after work a few weeks back and this was my view - I'm sad that daylight savings is over now because the days will start getting shorter and shorter!

Case in point - beautiful colourful sunset! Again, excuse my dodgy iPhone photos. I've been lazy to upload my actual photos recently!

Recently I went to Larder at Woolloomooloo - it's a pop-up as part of Otto restaurant and we got a 50% off deal which was amazing value. Not only that, the prices at Larder are actually really reasonable to begin with, especially given you get an amazing view over the water while you enjoy your meal. This was the prosciutto starter to share and it was fabulous!

Last weekend was beautiful. I went to see Alain de Botton speak at the Opera House which was really entertaining.

Our seats were side view but right by the stage so we were amazingly close, even though we coudln't see Alain front on. He's a really engaging speaker which made the time fly by!

And since the weather was so beautiful I couldn't help but head down to the Rocks to my favourite tea and scones place - The Tea Cosy. I love it there. Their scones are amazingly fluffy and their tea is also fabulous. The only downer was that one of my scones had hair in it - as in it was baked into the scone and I try as I might I just couldn't get the hair out. They apologetically rectified the situation and gave me a replacement plus one extra though others were expecting I should get my money back and a fresh scone. But I still love it there!

And this week I tried out the hard-to-get-a-reservation at Riley St Garage. The food was fab, the decor is amazing, and the menu is just so easy to order from. They have a set menu for $68 which had a huge selection of food and I definitely am keeping that on my agenda for any group/special occasion meals in the future. This is a blurry/badly shot photo of their miso salmon and truffle mash which were both hearty and flavourful.

What should I do now that it is Autumn and the days are getting shorter?

Life in Photos: February 2014

How is it already March? With February being a short month and being hectic (it is my birthday month after all!) I didn't get the chance to get back to blogging. Well here you can see some of what I got up to :)

I got some beautiful long stemmed roses for Valentines Day - but my favourite has to be Morgan the monkey that accompanied the gift.

I went to Canberra for a wedding - I literally ended up going to Canberra twice in the same month after not having visited for literally a decade! Anyway, we decided to visit Old Parliament House which was actually quite cool and interesting. An awesome piece of Australian history.

A straight view into the House of Representatives at Old Parliament House. How beautiful is beautifully aged wood?

On the suggestion of some canberra based friends, we visited Brod Burger, apparently a Canberra institution for amazing burgers. These were seriously huge! Tasty definitely, but the most amazing burger ever? Probably not. But definitely a cute place to check out.

I finally visited Vapiano which opened in Sydney late last year. I'd been in Brisbane a few years back and used to eat there a fair bit when I lived in the US. I'm glad its finally opened in Sydney because we definitely need that kind of eating space - easy for big groups, perfect for fussy eaters who can eat what they want, easy to get a table, and just good tasty pasta. Yum yum!

I never really get presents for my birthday, but this year I was spoilt with a small but decadent gift - amazing Godiva truffles. Some of my favourite! I'm still trying to eat my way through the box, but how beautiful is it just to look at?

I regularly brunch at Bitton cafe in Alexandria as its always easy to get a table and the food is reasonably priced and awesome. This was my omelette the other day - perfect Sunday morning brunch.

This is a terrible photo, but one of my birthday meals was at Waitan a newer Asian restaurant that is well known for its extremely expensive fitout. It is really relaxing dining there and the food is reasonable quality, albeit on the higher end of pricing. That said, the peking duck is actually quite well priced for the two courses, however not really traditional Peking Duck as much as it is roast duck. Still, good, clean tasting food with attentive service and a beautiful decor.

So as usual it turns out most of what I did in February was eat! Hmm...as a result I need to get back onto the treadmill!

Celebrity Chefs and their last meal

I think this is an uber cute video of Celebrity chefs telling about what they would choose for their last meal.

What would you choose?

My list is far too long!
- Pavlova/Eton Mess
- Gordon Ramsay's white chocolate dipped strawberry sorbet
- Dark chocolate - especially Gerard Mulot's dark chocolate tart from Paris
- Pierre Herme macarons (rose, mogador and salted caramel for sure!)
- Lobster anything (pasta, mornay, you name it!)
- My favourite cocktail from one of my favourite NYC bars

OK maybe I should stop! But can you tell I like dessert?

The Tea Cosy, Sydney

I love scones and so I had been meaning to go to The Tea Cosy at The Rocks for ages. Late last year I finally made it there and I'm so glad I did. I love the little place and the scones are amazing!

It is often considered the best scones in Sydney (which is of course a big call) and for the price I was definitely not disappointed. From memory it was $12.50 but that bought you two scones and tea (hot or iced) of your choice, and there are hot water urns to top up your teapot.

Excuse the slightly badly composed photos - I was trying out one of my newer Sigma prime lenses so the photos are amazingly sharp but I got a bit caught up in focusing and didn't compose properly.

The scones were fluffy, warm and flavoursome. You could also choose the type of scones you wanted - traditional, sultana and other options - as well as the jams you wanted to accompany your scones - orange, traditional strawberry and raspberry to name just a few.

Oh and did I mention, the teapots come in the cutest little hand knitted tea cosies. How can you not love it?

I'll definitely be back, and if you're from Sydney but haven't been you should definitely stop by!

Hartsyard, Newtown

I've dined at the uber hip and happening Hartsyard twice in the last 3 months or so, which is quite an achievement given it is so popular now it can be ridiculously difficult to get a reservation (even on a weeknight!)

The first time I went was just as a table of 2 which meant I wasn't really able to try a lot of the dishes, which are designed to be shared as a 'seed' and 'feed' approach for dish sizes which roughly line up with an entree and main type size. We ended up overordering and walking out stuffed.

Last week I went again but this time was smarter about it, dining with a group of 4 and trying not to overorder so that I could at least try dessert this time, which is their signature! And who am I kidding, I love me a good dessert. Their smaller 'seed' sized dishes are my favourite, with each and everyone sounding amazing. Here are some iPhone pics (I've been lazy lately haha!)

School prawn popcorn with espelette pepper and sour cream and lemon

These were finger licking good and such a good 'appetizer' type starter - great to start the meal with some light finger food while we chatted away.

Oyster po-boy with englihs muffin and old bay mayo and slaw

Yummy, crispy, perfectly balanced flavours. Need I say more?

Fremantle octopus with potato skins, white corn and piquillo peppers

This was a gutsy dish which I actually really enjoyed, with the octopus perfectly crunchy (not chewy!)

Crispy pig tails butter milk dressing, pickles and hot sauce

So this wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but still tasty. Would I order it again? No, but it was definitely well executed.

Dessert special - lemon meringue pie with popcorn icecream and caramel

This was AMAZING! Perfect mix of soft and crunchy meringue, a zesty lemon curd with the popcorn ice cream absolutely amazing too. Every single item on the plate was well presented, and accompanied every other element on the plate perfectly. 

Soft Serve of the day - red velvet, baked cheesecake and chocolate coating

This was also amazing - I mean these are their signature desserts, just with the soft serve flavour changing regularly. The camera has been put in the photo in the background as reference for just how large this was! It was definitely better to be shared as the red velvet ice cream was a rich dark chocolate that came out looking bloody because of the inky red velvet colouring and slight flavouring.

As you probably already know, desserts are my weakness so any restaurant that can nail a good dessert is a winner for me. I would definitely suggest you try Hartsyard if you get the chance, but make sure you go with a group! Their cocktail menu is also great, and I don't think Hartsyard is uber expensive either so that's definitely a plus :)

Bridge Room, Sydney

I'm finally getting round to post about my experience dining at Bridge Room in Sydney. With an ex-Rockpool chef at the helm and two Good Food guide hats, I was definitely expecting a great meal and they didn't disappoint. Not to mention the service was impeccable, but still casual, which is what I loved.

I wish I had better photos, but my dining companion isn't one to appreciate my snap-happy nature!

We shared this entree which was a raw wagyu shoulder, robata smoked enoki mushrooms concoction - and they knew we were sharing so it came out in two half portions so no plate sharing necessary! :)

Ash grilled duck, organic prunes softened in banyuls

Aerated passionfruit, roasted nougatine, passionfruit ice cream

The dessert was a highlight for me because I chose passionfruit - one of my favourites. Light and easy to stomach after a big meal, yet punchy flavours and some meringue for good measure.

Anyway, we each had a main and dessert and shared an entree and a glass of wine, and it only came to $160 which I think was really good value considering the cost of restaurants in Sydney is skyrocketing. I mean, even a casual mexican meal at Mejico can set you back just as much once you add a cocktail each!

Chur Burger, Sydney

I had been dying to try Chur Burger for the longest time, and with their annoying open times (not open Monday nights, not open Sunday at all!) I kept on missing out. Anyway, I finally tried it this weekend and it was awesome!

I like the setup - casual dining with a cool vibe, you can walk in/walk out and its easy enough to get a table, even for larger groups of 6. The music is a little loud to be able to sit and have comfortable conversation over, but the menu more than makes up for that.

All burgers are $10 (how easy is that!) and they all sound delish. I went with a group of 4 and we all tried something different and none of us had a bad thing to say. I liked the chicken one I had which had a zesty mayo dressing (my friend commented that it looked like Big Mac sauce, but let me assure you it wasn't just any old sauce).

We also ordered a good range of sides with the coleslaw being a clear winner, as were the chips which had a cool chilli type salt on top!

Anyway, we didn't get to try any shakes or the desserts, though I am dying to try the smashed pav (I find it very difficult not to order anything with meringue when I see it on a menu) so I will be back for sure for when I need a quick and easy dinner that won't break the bank.

Sydney, you are awesome

Because a picture tells a thousand words, here are some pics that resonate with my current 'I <3 Sydney' thoughts. One thing about travelling, and especially moving overseas for any period of time, is that it really makes you appreciate what you have at home in a city as beautiful as Sydney. Here are some favourite snaps from around beautiful Sydney over the past few months.

 Beautiful sunsets, and blue skies.

 Beach days each and every weekend

Sydney Harbour Bridge. Breathtaking, even with a dodgy iphone camera snap.

Mini Chambord bottle! Enjoying a drink at Stitch bar in the city. Yes, that bottle of Chambord (which my cocktail came in) is the same size as a short tumbler glass.

Spice Temple - a too often visited dining haunt for me.

Actually, I really should write a whole post on cocktails because I have so many iPhone photos of cocktails from all my small bar hopping adventures recently!

Cooking for Beginners

If you haven't already realised, I love food related infographics and this one has to be one of the cutest I've seen recently. How to cook for beginners! Love!

Magnum 'Pleasure' Store

I love Magnums, but am really picky - I only eat Ecuador Dark Chocolate Mini Magnums. Specific, I know! Partially because I can't stand the sickly sweet non dark chocolate and I just can't finish a whole magnum by myself. Anyway, when I knew that the make-your-own Magnum Pleasure pop up store was opening in Westfield Sydney for August I just had to go. Plus Whitney Port endorsed it, which is enough to convince me!

I of course started with Dark Chocolate. My add ons were rose petals, crumbled meringue, chopped hazelnuts and rose praline. Then I chose a drizzle of white chocolate, which wasn't really my first choice but I got peer pressured into it. Excuse the blurry photos!

Look how many choices there are though!

I was specifically told by disappointed friends not to get the dried strawberries or the sea salt, but otherwise I would have got the first one.

Verdict? Definitely tasty! It is also smaller than a normal full size Magnum so I was able to finish mine. I liked the mixture I chose, but to be honest I can hardly see any combination failing. Sugar, ice cream, chocolate and more sugar, how can that go wrong at all?

Get in before the end of the weekend if you would like to try it! The lines have been long long long (even on a Sunday afternoon, when I went, it was a 45 min wait and that was considered 'good').

A Beginners Guide To Wine Infographic

Don't you love a good infographic? I'm not much of a wine drinker (spirits are my vice...) but I might just have to start consulting this pretty little picture :)

Reuben Hills, Sydney

I finally made it to Reuben Hills, a hugely popular cafe in Surry Hills with Honduran/South American influences. I have to say, everything on the menu sounds absolutely amazing and from what we shared amongst a table of four, it definitely didn't disappoint.

One thing I think is great too is the prices are really quite reasonable and with sizeable servings it definitely makes one of the 'cheaper' cafes around the area in my opinion. No doubt that probably is one reason why the wait can be quite long for a table at times!

Anyway, here's some snaps of the food we ordered:

Clockwise from top left -
Baleada - Honduran tortilla and this one had pulled pork filling. This was really large and quite tasty, though not the most amazing tortilla you've ever had

f-ing great fried chicken - this was crispy, tasty and not too greasy so definitely a winner for finger licking goodness!

Chorizo grits - this serving size was really decent and the grits, avocado, beans nachos dish was easy to share and flavoursome

Dirty bird - this chicken burger as you can see had a huge lean slice of chicken. I inhaled my share of the burger so fast I can't remember really how it tasted exactly but it must've been good for me to eat it so fast!

And a meal wouldn't be complete without dessert - this is give a dogg a bone which is a raspberry icecream sandwich with blackberry mousse. This was really well balanced in that it wasn't too sweet but it was rich enough to make it a very good dessert.

I will definitely be back, though now I've tried most of the non breakfast menu I think I may have to wait a bit!