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!

Sculptures by the Sea 2013

Last weekend I took the glorious Bondi to Bronte walk to once again enjoy Sculptures by the Sea like the rest of Sydney has been doing over the last week or so! I have to say, I was lucky, as it wasn't as crowded as I had expected but perhaps it was because the weather looked overcast (though it was absolutely crystal clear in the end!) and it was fairly early on a Sunday morning.

Anyway, I used it as a chance to whip out my currently quite neglected NEX for phototaking. These are some of my favourite shots of the day.

Loved this 'bottle caps' carpet - must have taken the artist ages to accumulate!

Along with everyone else, this was my favourite, and you could tell as it certainly was the 'it' sculpture that everyone was flocking around and everyone keeps posting pictures about on facebook!

Does anyone else think Sculptures wasn't as good as last year?

And I couldn't help myself but take obligatory Bondi Beach shots - <3 Sydney!

Louboutin Patent Black Simple 100s

I had been looking for black patent Louboutin black patent simple 85s for the longest time, but they're perpetually out of stock online and in physical stores around the world (trust me, I've tried looking every country I visit!). When I randomly chanced upon my size at David Jones recently in 100s I just couldn't say no. And with a pile of vouchers to spend, these basically cost me nothing and were a welcomed present to myself :)

Welcoming to my shoe family, my holy grail shoe!

So perhaps I have too many black pairs of Louboutins that practically look identical? I am planning to sell one of the pairs...but for now I look like the crazy person obsessed with black.

iHerb Haul #3

If you follow me on twitter you would know I made another iHerb order a month back which involved more Real Techniques brushes and a few other tidbits!

The Real Techniques brushes had previously been sold out so I thought I would snap them up now, despite there not being a 20% discount code or anything like last time.  I didn't really need them and so I probably shouldn't have bought them, but seeing as I'm lazy with cleaning my brushes I thought just rotating the use of my brushes was a good compromise. I may start using the powder brush more but I don't like it as much as the others I bought previously.

Anyway, my favourite of the lot is the infuser + lid glass tea cup which is fabulous! It was on super discount so it was only $7 from memory, and there is a glass infuser inbuilt which then sits perfectly within the teacup lid when you're done steeping your tea. I love it because I often want a single cup of tea and don't want to have to waste a whole pot, plus this goes in the dishwasher!

The erythritol is my sister's request - apparently its a replacement for sugar? She's all into her health foods!

Don't forget to check out iHerb and use the discount code RLN426 to get at least $5 off your order ($10 if you spend enough). 

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.

Georg Jensen Daisy Ring

Recently, I started a new job and as with all 'life' events and milestones I like to mark them with some kind of purchase or nice meal or some other special something. This time I happened to walk into Georg Jensen where they had select pieces from the acclaimed 'Daisy' collection on sale so I just couldn't help myself but add to my ring collection.

Isn't the packaging just so elegant?

I've always loved the Daisy collection, and its based on Queen Margrethe of Denmark's love for the Daisy (you'll often see her sporting some kind of Daisy motif jewellery item). This ring is delicate in that the black is actually all enamel embedded into fine sterling silver. The edges of each petal are actually small grooves so that the ring isn't just a circle, but actually with defined petals. It is really quite beautiful!

Unfortunately they had absolutely no stock in the country of the smaller sizes so I had to settle on one that fits my second finger, but I still quite like it! :) 

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!