sydney snaps [pt 1]: nostalgia @ devon on danks.
Leave a reply
Tag Archives: lunch
#crazycousincatchups @ Stateland Cafe + Loysel’s Toy
Hyde & Co. – An Education
‘Foodie Challenge’ Round-Up: Sydney (May/June 2015)
If one didn’t know any better and happened to scroll through my instagram, they would most likely make the inference that I spent 10 days in Sydney eating and doing nothing else. They wouldn’t be entirely correct but in no way would I say they were completely wrong either. With the days I spent waiting for ‘pending’ or ‘processing’ paperwork, I was determined to meet up with as many of my friends as possible; a corollary of this being the copious amount of coffees and brunches which came into existence. There really is no better way to catch up with someone than over a relaxing brunch. Additionally, many of my foodie friends were enthusiastically recommending all of the ‘must-try’ hot-spots and dishes which I had better add onto my list before I left. 
Without further ado, the food ‘log’ shall be revealed…. *inhale*
Foodie Family Fun @ Five and Dime Eatery, Singapore
I have always loved these dining outings with my family, especially now when I the time I spend with Mama and Lil’ Bro is rather limited. It provides an opportunity to explore and experience new things together as well as share our stories, thoughts and amateur food critiques ;)! The photo below only reinforces to me the joys that my family brings me every day.
To say that Singapore’s cafe scene has grown over the past few years would still be an understatement.
At present, there is no shortage of cafes to choose from when Western dishes or hearty breakfast fare is being craved; a far cry from a time where I remember McDonald’s being the only place we would visit to appease Lil’ Bro’s desire for ‘non-hawker’ food. Singapore has what appears to be an infinite list of cafes making their mark across the island city in unique locations, however there are certainly a few which have stood out.
An animation to whet the appetite….
Five and Dime Eatery is another one of the consistently trending cafe/restaurants, which I had been meaning to try since its existence first surfaced on Instagram. Unlike the typical brunch/lunch fare, Five and Dime adds a Japanese nuance to its menu.
Tiong Bahru Heritage Trail I: Flock Café, Singapore
Hello and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season and 2014 has taken off with success :).
In parallel with the start of a new year I thought it would be appropriate to share with you all a ‘fresh visit’ to a place which I have explored before…
What is a new year better for than discovery?
In the past, I have written about what has been described as the ‘achingly hip’ suburb of Tiong Bahru, Singapore. Each trip to Singapore usually includes a stroll through the neighborhood, however this year Papa was determined to follow the ‘Heritage Trail’. Thus an ordinary family outing become one which provided new experiences and discoveries.
With what seems to be a perpetually developing café scene in Singapore, we stumbled upon a spot which I had been meaning to track down last year! To my surprise I crossed a small laneway and found ‘Flock Café’ at the corner of an old apartment block.
A quaint and narrow premises holds what has become a foodie hot-spot as well as a hit with the expatriate crowd.
Features: Mumma reckons their coffee is one of the best that she has tried in Singapore and my ‘Iced (Flat) White’ made the humid and warm exterior a distant memory.
Must-try dishes: Eggs Benedict and Pancakes
Perfectly poached eggs and a perfectly balanced (not overly rich) Hollandaise
Fluffy…I mean ‘cloud-like’ fluffy pancakes and a generous amount of compote
If you have enough stomach space….: Big Breakfast
If you are looking to experience something other than the hawker scene in Singapore, which in my case I have eaten quite repetitively, this is the perfect location. Good food at modern café appointed in an area with old-time charm….yes please…
More on Tiong Bahru to come!
Ming xx
P.S. Photos taken with an iPhone 5….have been slightly poor at lugging my DSLR around hehe
The End of Chinese New Year to The Beginning of Craziness
My how the fifteen days of Chinese New Year flew by this year. I don’t think it was because we were particularly busy celebrating everyday as a family, but perhaps because individually our lives have begun to really restructure and return to reality, leaving our holiday mindset behind. Though I admit this is more applicable to everyone in the family but me (I’m still on summer break), with Mumma’s work schedule showing no mercy and Lil’ Bro sitting his first set of HSC assessments, our celebration of this annual event revolved around the significant days, which luckily for us fell on weekends. Working towards each date, the 7th day, the people’s birthday and of course the 15th and final day, punctuating Chinese New Year within hectic schedules really did make it pass with all the more haste. Nevertheless, it was of course filled with good food planned by Mumma and I.
The last weekend of Chinese New Year was a rainy and cold one. I took this as a sign to warm the soul with the goodness of oatmeal. I had just bought an adorably sized pot from Peter’s of Kensington and was slightly overexcited at the thought of using it. Thus came both Saturday and Sunday breakfasts of oatmeal.
Banana whipped vanilla and cinnamon oats topped with almond butter, coconut, a drizzle of honey and sliced banana.
Banana whipped vanilla and cinnamon oats topped with vanilla bean yoghurt, sliced banana, melted peanut butter, a sprinkle of wholewheat crumble, toasted coconut and a drizzle of honey.
Simple, healthy, delicious and comforting on cold weekend mornings.
Saturday night was the eve of the final day of Chinese New Year and this had really only just occurred to us that morning. We had not booked a restaurant, Lil’ Bro was studying in his own world and Mumma was overworked from a long week. Once again, Golden Century takeaway came to the rescue, providing a gourmet feast in the comfort of our own home. Our stomachs were indeed satisfied and any stress on Lil’ Bro’s part was minimised as he refuelled for more study!
On the menu for the night was my favourite Fried Fish, the taste and texture of which I think no other restaurant can replicate – wonderfully crispy while retaining the flavour and tenderness of the fish, not to mention the flavoursome and appetising sauce and spring onions which complement the dish perfectly.
Not even the hyped Roast Duck at Mr Wong’s can replace that of Golden Century. Although it was takeaway, the duck was absolutely perfect! As I usually claim ‘ownership’ of the Fried Fish, Lil’ Bro was taken by the duck – in fact the whole family was, so I sneakily went to forgo some of the fish in a trade. The skin was perfectly roasted with the fat rendered off, leaving a crisp layer encasing an extremely tender and flavoured meat, which had no hint of dryness!
After trying this dish on the first day of Chinese New Year, Mumma and I knew that the Soya Sauce Chicken had to be ordered again to finish the celebration. It amazed me as to how tender and smooth the chicken meat was, with the sauce not dominating the star of this dish. It was quite heavenly!
We even created our own ‘Kiong Yong’ – Ginger and Chilli Condiments to add to these dishes. Being the chilli fanatic that I am, I was quite the happy eater.
Sundays in my family are usually quite laid back and what I have begun to see as the day of cooking, appropriate for the final day of Chinese New Year.
Mumma boiled her wonderful Chicken Broth with Corn, Carrots, Vermicelli Noodles and Fish Lip. In my mind, boiling soup is a sign of comfort, home and love. Nothing can compare to such a nutritious and organic bowl of love to chase away the prospect of the weekend ending!
Mumma proceeded to state that we could now treat ourselves after such a healthy ‘entrée’, so we created an absolutely delicious ‘Toastie’ of Sharp Cheddar and Ham with Dijon Mustard. I can never find a toastie comparable to one made at home. Most of the time we attempt to do so, Mumma, Lil’ Bro and I (The Toastie Musketeers) are left rather disappointed. Such a dissapointment occurred on my Saturday lunch with Mumma, while Lil’ Bro and Papa were at their boy’s basketball!
Although the ingredients at the new Pattinsons’ Pattiserie at Westfield Bondi Junction were indeed fresh and quality, it lacked the flavour and ended up rather dry. However, our creation was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
wasn’t already enough food, my Auntie E who just returned from Kuala Lumpur brought with her an abundance of Chinese New Year ‘snacks’. Who could pass up the authenticity and deliciousness of these wonderful munchables?! For once I forgot the amount of calories and sinfulness in these yummies and gave in to the inevitable.
The perfection of the Peanut Cookies almost had us in tears. They were melt in your mouth yet crisp, peanut butter tasting, yet slightly salty and sweet. I was speechless.
Yes, we still managed to fit in dinner. How could we not end the celebrations with a hearty home cooked meal?! Our stomachs were satisfied with a simple Fried Lettuce dish, the standard and much loved Wagyu Beef and Grilled Salmon Belly and a new edition of Soya Sauce Chilli Prawns.
Grilled Salmon Belly, has become a usual suspect in our meals, with its super crispy and golden skin and melt in your mouth meat. I think we have perfected the technique for this one!
Live Prawns from Central are a must try for any seafood lover in Sydney. Somehow, they taste above and beyond the usual fishmarket variety and when cooked with soya sauce, chilli and a hint of garlic, something magical occurs. I may or may not have ended up wiping the sauce up with a scoop of rice….
I must say that we ended Chinese New Year quite well this year, even though we were without our extended family. Making an effort to cook and buy delicious meals, ensuring that we took the time to appreciate the tradition truly made this year’s ‘celebration’ more meaningful and left me very content.
On another note this is my last post before SECOND YEAR university begins tomorrow! A decision to transfer to Medical Science has resulted in a rather hectic timetable and I didn’t think that was possible after my first year! Please excuse me if there is a short hiatus/minimal posting. I’ll hopefully still be instagramming (a hard habit to stop!), but bare with me as I find my feet and maintain balance and health as the craziness begins. My goal is a find a way to keep everything in complete balance and find a way to integrate blogging into daily life. Until next time!
Ming xx
Friendship + Food: Bills and Mad Spuds
During high school, we undoubtedly form a close group of friends. In my case, it was a group of friends that literally had every single class together – thank you 4 unit Maths! I might add that our nightmarishly three hour long (not to mention afternoon) lessons were often hijacked by gourmet brownies, feta and sourdough – you name it, we had it to quell our stresses and overloaded brain capacities. When university started, we all headed our ways without a second thought, thinking that we would still see each other every other day considering some of us would be going to the same ‘big pond’ in which we were the ‘little fish’ again! So with a few scattered across the state and the unexpectedly frantic new journey it was hard to really sit down and enjoy our once common breakfast/brunch dates.
This is where I begin to be so thankful for ‘Summer Holidays’. Not only do I have time to really relax and unwind and take care of myself, but I have been able to set aside some much needed ‘catch-up’ and talk about everything and anything time. More importantly, this time is actually enjoyed without the constant inkling that you have an assignment due or three quizzes next week – this is how my stress head works 99.9999% of the time!
P and I have always had a soft spot for anything Bills, so when our long overdue catch up came around we took a stroll down Queen Street to meet the delights of the famous Corn Fritters. In the same course and university, we expected to see each other all the time, but timetables and subject choices decided otherwise and the most we saw of each other during semester was a wave across campus!
You can judge how enjoyed and required a catch up is when you’re still chatting, *cough* savouring their coffee *cough*, the café has cleared out and the kitchen staff are beginning to stand around aimlessly. The best part however, was the absence of the staff attempting to push us out the door, allowing us to enjoy our close to three hour lunch! The deco of Bills Woollahra is simply inviting and homelike, as if one was sitting around their own dining area which looks into a sun drenched courtyard – perfect for a relaxing meal.
How could I not take some foodie-graphs though? (Thanks for tolerating this P!)
Continue reading
Spontaneous Celebration: The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
Sometimes the things we dread the most end up pleasantly surprising us. An impulsive booking for lunch at Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay spurred by serious fish pie cravings turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate the official end of my first semester at university – a big challenge. This had been marked by the arduous release of results throughout the week, which definitely turned out better than my stressed out and paranoid self had expected. Ahhh…the joys of surprises…plus food!
Boathouse is sneakily located at the back of Glebe; tucked away but overlooking a beautiful view of the Anzac Bridge. The family and I had Mother Nature on our side, providing one of Sydney’s characteristic sunny winter’s days when we made our little dining journey.
I admit that whenever Mama and I see oysters on the menu we cannot help but sneak in an order! We left our selection of four to the restaurant, known for their oyster expertise! I’m sure that I was just excited by the elaborate names of the oysters, as I was by tasting them – Clair de Lune, Wonboyn Rock, Label Rouge, Coffin Bay Pacific.
hello it's ming. 