2014 Roundup

It's been quite the year, with lots going on and a lot of time spent travelling, skiing and just living life in general, which doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging! I say every year that I hope to blog more, but I guess it's not a bad thing that I'm spending more time living life rather than writing about it. There's still plenty of blog posts in the pipeline though, and with 2014 almost done and dusted, it's time to revisit some of my favourite moments from the year.

Peach pricking at Pine Crest Orchard, Bilpin

I kicked off the year with something I'd always wanted to do - fruit picking! Sir D and I spent the day in Bilpin picking some of my favourite stone fruits and eating pies at roadside diners. It was a great day out and something I'd definitely recommend.

Mini-don set at the Nijo Markets, Sapporo

In April, I visited Japan for the first time and realised that I would never, ever get sick of Japanese food.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I can't believe it's Christmas already! The year has flown by, especially the last few months which have been crazy busy for me. I've been lucky enough to have some time off work before Christmas so got stuck into the Christmas baking straight away, starting off with the usual gingerbread.

I've still got a couple of desserts and things to make over the next few days, but I thought that I'd revisit this flourless chocolate cake that I made last year for Christmas (but never got around to blogging about.... oops). Flourless chocolate cake was a cake I made from the first cookbook I was ever gifted, and probably kick-started my love of baking and cookbooks.

This flourless chocolate cake is adapted from a recipe from the queen of delicious, fattening things and midnight snacking from the fridge, Nigella Lawson. It's a rich, fudgey cake that I think sums up well what Christmas feasting means for me - indulgence and a little bit of gluttony. Don't be surprised if you find me piling my plate high with glazed ham, turkey and fresh prawns, and then collapsing onto the sofa for a well-earned post-feasting nap.

You could make this cake any time of year really, but a few strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar turns it into something a bit more festive. Even if you're greeted with a few groans from people who have over-eaten when this cake is brought out, don't pay attention to them and make sure that everyone has a slice. They won't regret it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their family, friends and loved ones over a delicious meal!

The Smoking Panda, Sydney

I always get a little thrill when I find the doorway to a hidden bar. It's that rewarding feeling of solving the puzzle of where the bar entrance is, and of knowing something that's maybe a little bit secret.

That's how I felt when we walked into the Hotel Coronation, a dingy looking pub on Park Street that I've walked past hundreds of times. We knew there was a small bar around here somewhere but it certainly didn't look like there was one when we entered the pub. We wandered upstairs to what I think was the actual hotel guest rooms (yep, definitely no small bar there), back down the stairs again, and up another flight of stairs where we began to see the fluorescent glow of pink neon lights of The Smoking Panda.

Blackberry and Sage Smash - $17

There's an old skool Chinese takeaway restaurant feel in the decor, with booth seating and Chinese restaurant-style chairs and tables, but we wander past these and the lanterns straight over to the bar, where we fix ourselves up with a cocktail or two.

Interestingly, the drinks list deviates from the Chinese theme, with an American slant on the cocktails and a big focus on bourbon - there's more than 50 types of bourbon available from the bar! Our first cocktail of the night, the bourbon-based Blackberry & Sage Smash is fruity but not too sweet, with the tart blackberry and lemon flavours layered over the bourbon.

Georgia Peach - $17

The Georgia Peach is also a bourbon-based cocktail with fresh peach and mint over crushed ice, making for a refreshing drink.

Blue Lagoon - $17

We spy someone order the Blue Lagoon, a lurid blue drink that by all accounts was actually quite tasty. That blue stuff? That's blue curaçao, gin, vodka, lychee and dragonfruit which is topped with a lemonade foam and popping candy. We got a little taste of the lemonade foam which tasted kind of like a Sprite creaming soda.

San Choy Bao - $5 each

The Burger Shed, Mosman

There's something about a burger that makes it so satisfying. It might be the soft fluffy bun, the juicy meat patty, or the melty, oozy cheese (cheese is a must!) - whatever it is, it always hits the spot. I'm always on the look out for a good burger, so when The Cheerleader (who also loves a good burger) told me about a burger place in Mosman, we headed there quick smart to check it out.

Upon looking at The Burger Shed's menu, I thought it looked strangely familiar... and when I saw the truffle parmesan fries, it hit me that this was one of Justin North's burger joints, and that the menu was similar to the one at Charlie and Co.

Watermelon and ginger crush - $6

Not to worry though, as I do love Charlie and Co's burgers, and there were enough differences between the menus to keep us interested. Like this watermelon and ginger crush, which had a lovely pink blush colour to it and was super refreshing.

BBQ corn, chilli salt butter - $5

Despite being called the Burger Shed, the menu also had some non-burger items like salads, tortilla wraps, desserts and corn! Queen Chu and I both love our corn so this BBQ corn with chilli salt butter was a must.

Vintage Cheeseburger - $9.90

Ume Restaurant, Surry Hills

There are so many good Japanese restaurants on the north side of the Bridge and around the CBD, that I rarely feel the need to venture further for Japanese food. So it takes a special restaurant to warrant a trip beyond my usual sphere of comfort and convenience, but it certainly pays off when you're visiting a restaurant like Ume.

Ume is tucked away in a leafy section of Bourke St, Surry Hills, which makes it a quiet and peaceful location for dinner. The restaurant is simply decorated, with a plum blossom painting on one wall that references the restaurant's name, "ume", meaning "plum" in Japanese. Head Chef Kerby Craig, who trained under Tetsuya Wakuda before opening Koi in Woolwich and then Ume in Surry Hills, has created a menu that focuses on Japanese food with traditional and modern elements using local and sustainable ingredients. Every day except for Saturday, diners can choose from a 5-course ($67) or 7-course ($87) degustation menu, or opt to go a la carte. Saturday is limited to degustation only.

Raw deep sea prawns, prawn oil, walnuts, okahijiki, 1 year old preserved lemon, saishikomi soy - $21

We decide to go a la carte mainly because of the ama ebi dish which is not on the degustation menu. I fell in love with ama ebi (deep sea prawns) when I was in Japan and I rarely see it on menus here in Sydney, so I had to order it. The sweetness of the raw prawns pair well with the crunchy walnuts, seaweed and the subtle tartness of the preserved lemon. After tasting this dish, I knew that the rest of the meal was going to be a treat.

Seared Hokkaido scallop, Shibanuma shoyu brown butter, native finger lime, dulse - $21

Ichi-ban Boshi, Sydney

Back in the day when I knew absolutely nothing about ramen and Sir D hated the stuff, Ichi-ban Boshi was one of the first ramen places I ever visited and blogged about. I remember thinking that the queues outside the restaurant must mean that they're serving up some pretty good food, but to be honest after my first visit I was not particularly wowed.

Things have changed a lot since then - lots of ramen places have opened up in the last couple of years meaning that I've been able to try different types of ramen and just eat a lot more ramen in general! So when I visited Ichi-ban Boshi again armed with my new ramen knowledge, it was quite a different experience

Iced green tea cappuccino - $4.80

A hot night meant that a cold drink was in order, and while Ichi-ban boshi has sake and Japanese beers on offer, I settled on an iced green tea cappuccino. The milky green tea is topped with an impressive amount of milk foam and raw sugar crystals. The drink also comes with a little jug of sugar syrup which you can add to your drink to adjust the sweetness of it.

Gyoza - $6.50

We start with the gyoza which we're told is one of the most popular items on the entree section of the menu. The gyoza are made in house and we can see why they're so popular - the bottoms are nicely crisped up and the dumpling pastry is rolled out quite thin. The gyoza are served on a soy and vinegar dipping sauce.

Grilled ox tongue - $11

I'm a sucker for ox tongue so when we spot this on the menu we have to order it. There's six pieces of thinly sliced ox tongue which are grilled and served with salt and chilli powder, and a wedge of lemon which is squeezed over the meat. The tongue is a little chewy but the fact that it's been sliced so thinly means that it's not at all difficult to eat.

Negimiso ramen - $11.90

The Cut Bar & Grill, Sydney

It's easy enough to make a decent steak at home, but there's something about the dark furnishings and luxury of being able to pick and choose lots of sides to go with your steak that make it a bit of a treat. I decided to treat Sir D on his birthday with a visit to The Cut Bar & Grill for some tasty meat.

As you walk downstairs into the restaurant, it's almost like you're walking into a secret underground cavern. The restaurant itself is dark and moody with plush leather banquette seating as well as individual tables.

Scallops, peas, mushroom, bone marrow - $25

We're here for the beef but we decide to start with a few entrees to whet our palates. The words 'scallops' and 'bone marrow' catch my eye so we order the scallop entree which has three juicy seared scallops sitting on some crumbled blood pudding, with peas, mushrooms and little blobs of bone marrow. The earthy flavours of the blood pudding and mushrooms pair quite well with the sweet scallops which are perfectly cooked.

Beef tartare, quail egg, truffle mustard, traditional garnishes, lavosh - $35

Night Noodle Markets 2014

Life has been crazyy! So October (aka Good Food Month) started and it barely registered on my radar until I started hearing and reading stuff about the Night Noodle Markets. Somehow I managed to get my act together and make it out to the first night of the markets, which looked a little something like this around 6pm.

Night Noodle Markets opening night

It was crazy-town and after a quick scout of all the stalls it seemed like there were barely any without queues. I did notice that there are more food stalls than last year which is always a good sign. There are also more seating areas and bars scattered around Hyde Park - but don't let that trick you into thinking that it's easy to find a seat!

Bar area

After our recon mission, I'd picked out a handful of stalls that I was keen on getting food from. Hoy Pinoy drew me in with the billowing smoke and smell of grilled meat.

Basting the meat

This Melbourne-based Filipino BBQ food stall had huge skewers of chicken and pork belly cooking away on several grills, all the while being basted with sauce.

Skewers at Hoy Pinoy

Flavours of Malaysia 2014 at The Grace Hotel

I've never been to Malaysia before but judging from Malaysians' passionate relationship with food, I think I'd fit right in. Malaysia's love of food was clearly evident at the launch of the Flavours of Malaysia buffet at The Grace Hotel, where there was an incredible spread of Malaysian food created by three Malaysian chefs who were specially flown in for the event.

Here's a taste of what was on offer:

Cold salads

DIY Rojak and Pasembor salads

The cold section held a number of salads, including a DIY Rojak (mixed fruit salad with a prawn paste sauce) and Pasembor (mixed vegetable salad with peanut sauce). There were also a few salads that I'd never seen before, like a glass noodle salad with coconut and prawn, and a tripe salad.

Beef and chicken satay skewers

Manta Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

The weather is finally warming up which means that it's time to go out and enjoy the sunshine! And what better way to enjoy the sunshine than a nice meal by the water where you can hear the waves lapping up against the pier and feel the warmth of the sun on your back.

Dining room at Manta Restaurant

The Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo is a great place to do this, as well as do a little bit of people watching while you dine. We visited Manta for lunch on a gloriously sunny day to celebrate The Cat's birthday. We'd scored ourselves a voucher for 6 people for $259 - which came to less than $45pp for three courses. The set menu had a choice of three options per course, and also included a glass of house red or house white. Since we had a table of 6, we were able to order every item off the menu and I can safely say that all the dishes were delicious!

Freshly shucked Sydney rock and Pacific oysters, spring onion, apple, pepper and white balsamic dressing

I started with freshly shucked oysters which included both the Pacific and Sydney Rock variety. The oysters came with a fresh lemon cheek, a sweet spring onion and apple dressing, and a tangy balsamic and pepper dressing. The oysters were deliciously briny and really didn't need much more than a squeeze of lemon juice, but the spring onion and apple dressing also went quite well with the oysters.

Fried calamari, chilli salt, lemon zest, parsley, pickled fennel and roasted black garlic aioli

Black Betty BBQ at The Oxford Tavern, Petersham

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Oxford Tavern is a seedy pub, seeing as up until last year, the main drawcards were the topless waitresses, jelly wrestling and the "live hot girls". But since the Drink 'n' Dine group's revamp of the inner west pub, the pokies area has been changed to a beer garden, "jelly wrestling" now refers to a dessert on the menu, and instead of girls, you can now get "live hot BBQ"!

Beer garden at The Oxford Tavern

Live hot BBQ sounds like something right up my alley, so we went to check out The Oxford Tavern's new Black Betty BBQ. It's an impressive beast of an outdoor smoker that has been operating for the past couple of months, churning out smoked meats cooked low and slow on the weekends until sold out.

Black Betty menu

There's a range of smoked goodies on the menu, generally sold by weight. You can also see the prepared meats in the glass cabinet at the counter, and they all look amazing. Executive Chef of the Drink 'n' Dine group, Jamie Thomas, is there to serve up the meat himself, and he slices up a little bit of everything for us to try.

Platter full of meat!

We end up with a huge platter of meaty goodness featuring all the menu items on the standard Black Betty BBQ menu, as well as the specials for the day.

Smoked chicken - $8 per 1/4 chicken

The smoked chicken is the only poultry item on the Black Betty menu, and it has an amazingly smoky flavour and is succulent and juicy.

Beef brisket - $8 per 100g

Kuidaore in Osaka: Eat til you drop!

After our adventures up north in Hokkaido, we took a flight from Sapporo down to Osaka. Although we visited Japan in springtime, Sapporo was still very cold with snow still lining the streets and intermittent snow flurries! So we were quite glad to experience warmer weather once we disembarked our flight.

Spring is also sakura season, so while it was still too cold for sakura in Hokkaido, we were fortunate enough to catch the tail end of the blooming cherry blossoms in Osaka. I'd done a bit of research on where we might be able to find sakura in Osaka, so on our first full day there we headed to the aptly named Kema Sakuranomiya Park to go sakura spotting.

Market stalls in Sakuranomiya Park

Our little trip to the park showed us that Osaka really is a city of food! We were there to see sakura but Osaka put on a show for us that weekend by having endless food stalls throughout the whole park. We literally walked through the entire length of the park and there was no way that you could have gone hungry with all the food on sticks available. Here is some of what we saw:

Cheese balls on a stick

Sausage on a stick

Sakura in bloom

A ring of fish (on a stick) cooking around charcoal

Corn!

Freshly made taiyaki

Salvage Specialty Coffee, Artarmon

Even though there are plenty of cafes around my area, I still get a little excited when a new one pops up. Word on the street was that there was a new cafe in Artarmon that had awesome coffee and food to boot.

Latte - $3.50

You'd never think that there was a hipster cafe down the little pedestrian walkway leading out from Artarmon train station, but in amongst the Japanese restaurants, convenience stores and bookshops is Salvage Specialty Coffee.

Mecca Coffee

They take their coffee seriously here with the Mecca Dark Horse blend and single origin coffees on offer, and a rather amusing sign saying that any coffee "extras" cost 50c - extras that may or may not include "soy, extra shot, mocha, honey, vampire blood, unicorn tears, kisses from Zooey Deschanel".

Cold brew - $5

Apart from the normal espresso-based coffees, Salvage also do filter coffees including Aeropress and cold brews. The cold brew comes in a cute Salvage bottle and is served with a sphere of ice in a glass to keep it chilled.

Croque madame - $14.50