Sydney Food Archives - Page 30 of 37

Sydney Food

Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation Lunch at Jordons

September 5, 2008 / Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

I love a good cause, especially when it involves the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation.

Today I spent a lovely afternoon at Jordons in Darling Harbour with many other like-minded women supporting a great cause.

I’ve been to a few of these style of event and I think this was the nicest so far. It could have been the lavish displays of pink everywhere, or the excessively girlishness of it all that did it for me – or it might have been the delicious food and the simplicity of the event. No entertainment was needed, no excessive speeches. Just a few poignant moments and plenty of time to chat with old and new friends while raising money for the cause.

Google table – yeah!

Pink merchandise everywhere.

Sussing out the silent auction items with the fabulous view in the background.

The Mimco bag I had my eye on – and “won” in the silent auction. Hey, it’s for charity!

With girly partners in crime.

Our table of 20 like-minded ladies.

Sweet touches on the table.

Angela Bishop, the MC.

Cous cous with lentils, fetta and more.

Pumpkin risotto with spinach and sun dried tomatoes.

Fresh salad.

Tasty chips.

Most delicious dessert – pink mirangue with some kind of berry / passionfruit cream. So tasty I ate two.

With my bag after the auction end – while I was still on a buying high and before it set in that I had accidentally bought a bag.

Bye for now!

Malabar at Crows Nest

September 4, 2008 / Animals, friends, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

I’ve never been a fan of Indian food – with the exception of cheese naan (which I was told recently wasn’t traditionally Indian – what a disappointment!).

Beverly and Lisa however have been raving abut their favourite Indian place in Crows Nest, Malabar, so in the spirit of trying new things, I agreed to come along for some new flavours.

I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious food – although I shouldn’t have been surprised since B & L are usually right when it comes to good restaurants. I was also pleased by the variety of vegetarian food on offer.

The interior – very dark unfortunately which made it not optimal for taking photos.

Colourful menu.

The house specialty is Dosai – B & L have been raving about it for a while now so I had to try it out.

The Dosai – a thin pancake wrapped around lightly spiced potatoes. Very, very tasty.

Hello there Lisa!

Patti Samosas – filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

Malabar Paratha – some kind of fried doughy bread. Delicious!

Bev in food heaven.

Nomming isn’t always a graceful thing.

Dessert – pistachio ice cream.

I can’t remember what this was called but it was a dessert with cottage cheese I believe, deep fried into dough somehow.

We adjourned to Bev’s house afterwards for ferret play and internet surfing.

The ferrets REALLY want to get on Cute Overload … “Ein, get out of my WAY!”

Malabar
334 Pacific Highway,
Crows Nest, NSW,
Australia
(02) 9906 7343

Rockpool

September 4, 2008 / Sydney Food / 1 Comment

One of the things I love about my job is getting to eat at restaurants that otherwise I would never be able to.

We took some clients to Rockpool this week. I’ve heard amazing reviews but since it’s a seafood restaurant have never though of going myself.

Lucky for me, I was given the chance to try it out and see how they handle a fussy vege like me.

The entrance to Rockpool is very unassuming. Located at the The Rocks end of George Street it fits right in with low-key cafes and pubs. Even once you enter, the decor is very understated.

Vegetarian-wise, there were three options from the appetiser menu but only one from the mains, so I tried a dish I otherwise probably wouldn’t have.

Bread to start – crusty, fresh, hot bread.

Four tastes of the sea. I love the presentation. The presentation of all of our dishes was amazing, as was the service.

My goats cheese tortellini with raisins and pine nuts. Delicious! I just wish there had been more!

Tuna, snapper and leatherjacket sashimi with fresh wasabi, sushi rice, ginger and soy dressing.

Dishing out of my baby vegetable tagine and stuffed date. It was delicious, but slightly too spicy for me.

Potato gratin. So very tasty I could have eaten it all on my own.

Leaf salad with palm sugar vinaigrette. Delicious!

Date tart (original since 1984).

Chocolate rice crackle cake – delicious! The presentation, the fluttery gold leaf decorations, the explosion of chocolate mousse and caramel … ahhhhhh!

“Strawberries and cream” with rosé jelly. It gave me food envy.

Food porn shot!

Petits fours. Made on the premise. Jaffa balls and orange marshmallow pillows with salted caramels. OMG … my stomach was fit to bursting by now.

Super cute little coffee.

Such an amazing meal and service. I can see why Rockpool has such an outstanding reputation.

Rockpool
107 George St
Sydney, NSW
Australia
(02) 9252 1888

L’Gerbe D’Or – a Slice Of France In Paddington

August 21, 2008 / Sydney Food / 0 comment

Tucked away in Paddington lies the tiny French cafe L’Gerbe D’Or. They’re well-known for their deluxe cakes, pastries and bread. I particularly love their hot chocolate, served in a bowl as big as your head.

RSPCA Cupcake Day

August 18, 2008 / Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

Anyone who knows me knows that my passion in life is animals. I am the hugest fan of the RSPCA and would do anything for them to help them fundraise.

2008 marked the first year for the Cupcake Day for the RSPCA and I decided to bake up a storm and raise some cash at work.

Since my oven doesn’t work, I went over to see my parents and baked with their state-of-the-art wonderful oven. The recipe I used was the same one I have been using since I was about five – it’s a very simple, never-fail, vanilla cupcake recipe that always turns out perfect – fluffy and crumbly in the middle with a great texture and taste. I did however tempt fate by making a second batch and throwing in a good heap of Cadbury drinking chocolate to see what happened. What happened was I stuffed up the recipe and half of the chocolate cupcakes sunk in the middle so were un-sellable. They were still tasty and devoured by family however, so it turned out OK!

Batch number two goes into the oven.

Batch number one comes out – perfect!

Iced! Glorious sprinkled cakes with lemon yellow icing.

Chocolate with white butter cream icing and chocolate sprinkles.

Dispite some hiccups at my work, the day went off very well. Several other Googlers brought in treats they had baked as well, and together we raised $170 for the RSPCA. Google also gift matches any money we donate to charity, so it ended up being $340 we made in total. I hope to raise even more next year!

Girls’ Day Out

August 16, 2008 / friends, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Beverly has been telling us about this fabulous French cafe for a while, so I was more than happy to begin our shopping bonanza with hot chocolate and pastries. I’ve been to France a few times and am planning another trip, so it really got me into the “I’m going to France” groove. Which also reminds me that my lapse in practicing French has left my language skills as abysmal. Must refresh my memory before venturing the land of chocolate!

Back to the cafe, it’s called La Gerbe D’or and is in Paddington. Beverly knows the owner, a lovely French fellow, who recognised her and came over for a chat. The cafe was extremely busy, both with fellow diners inhaling gigantic amounts of hot chocolate, as well as locals popping in for exquisite pastries and baguettes.

Beverly points to the many items she is about to order.

This is not a distorted image. The bowl is as large as my head. We worked out it was about four cups worth, and only cost around $5. Bargain – and sickness-inducing.

Onion tart.

Mushroom quiche.

My late breakfast – so tasty and fluffy. It cost around $8, which I thought was a reasonable price.

Yes, another demonstration of how piggy we are.

Three girls, ready to pig out and buy lots of pretty things.

Lisa’s dessert.

Drinking my way into queasiness. It was so divine I just couldn’t stop. It was very sweet and light, but next time I will split it with someone.

In Alannah Hill I fell in love with this princess dress. I wasn’t exactly in the market for another dress, but what can you do when fate throws you the perfect frock?

After a day of trying on dresses, we adjourned back to the apartment for pizza gluttony from LCC. After boasting about the glory of LCC pizza, the girls insisted we all try it and decide once and for all if it is indeed the fairest pizza on the North Shore. The evening did not start auspiciously – the pizza took an hour to arrive. That is the standard delivery time for LCC and we’re used to it, but our guests were impatient for foooood.

Posing. Of course.

“Limpeted!”

Don’t know what was going on here. Beverly has “I’m cranky, feed me” face. And Chris has … I don’t know what to call that.

Finally! Food! LCC were good to us and threw in a large garlic and herb pizza and garlic bread.

Alec tries to save me from myself.

Chillin’. Ahhh pizza satisfaction!

Spellbound by the Wii.

Cuties with their toy ferrets.

Couldn’t resist throwing this one in. Too cute for words.

La Gerbe D’or
255 Glenmore Road
Paddington, NSW 2021

Sakura Japanese Kitchen

August 12, 2008 / friends, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Shelley took me to Sakura Japanese Kitchen before we saw a movie last week. It’s a tiny little place that serves fast, tasty, cheap Japanese food. There were lots of Japanese people in there so I think it’s safe to say if it’s a hit with the locals then it’s more than good enough for us!

The service is fast and friendly and the food come out within 10 minutes of ordering. Shelley had rainbow rolls and prawn and vege tempora, and I had vegetables tempora and udon noodle soup. The noodles were super tasty, the soup was delicious and the veges were huge! I also thought the food was good value – it cost about $11 for my dish. We will be back!

Sakura Japanese Kitchen
Shop 325 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel. 02 9261 0711
Open seven days

The Cupcake Bakery

August 4, 2008 / Sydney Food / 1 Comment

Beverly and I were doing a spot of, ahem, shopping today at Peter Alexander on George St when we decided to pop in next door to The Cupcake Factory to give them a taste test. We both consider ourselves cupcake connoisseurs, so it takes some seriously delicious cupcakes to satisfy our cravings for her perfect nom-ing treat.

The Cupcake Factory has a lovely display filled with many interesting flavours – not as many kinds as BabyCakes, but they make up for it with excellent quality.

Cost-wise, it is $3.50 per huge cupcake, which may seem pricey but is very comparable to other cupcake stores and is cheaper than BabyCakes. BabyCakes may have the cute factor, but I do believe The Cupcake Factory wins for awesome tasting cupcakes.

I bought one to try – the vanilla with chocolate buttercream and sprinkles below. I also bought a sticky date with caramel topping for Alec – it was 50 cents extra for the cute little box.

Pretty store – love the striped decor.

Yuuumm….

Close-up of the crazy blue cake.

Menu.

About to get totally sugared out.

Store front.

My vanilla with chocolate buttercream cupcake. I can’t rate it highly enough. The buttercream was deliciously sweet – not too sugary! A good sign is how light and fluffy it is. The actual cake was delicious. Very vanilla-y and soft, but not too spongey. Perfect texture – slightly crumbly, with a crunchy outside.

Bliss! Check The Cupcake Factory out:

320B George St
Sydney, NSW, 2000

LCC Pizza & Wii Night

August 3, 2008 / friends, Sydney Food / 0 comment

LCC is out staple pizza delivery place in Artarmon. I always order the same thing – bocconcini, tomato and basil, but it’s such a winning combination I never have the urge to order anything else.

The store front – it’s super tiny.

Delectable menu.

Matt hangs out.

The elder Cooper brother looks mightily red here.

Waiting in the cold. It would be awesome if LCC invested in some outdoor heaters in winter.

Our stack of delicious pizza ready to be inhaled.

Alec praises the lord that his pizza is here at last.

Alec ordered a Mediterranean pizza this time – not a touch on the usual but still good.

Matt models his b’day present from Aya.

Alec is so hungry he eats where he stands.

Trying to mute me with the Wii.

Post pizza carb overload.

Working off the pizza with Wii bowling.

And Wii baseball.

I was just taking photos here to see what faces Alec was pulling. He never disappoints.

Pulling a face of my own with Aya.

With Aya and her new flatmate Marianne.

Home time! Good bye!

LCC Gourmet Pizza
Shop 4, 1 Wilkes Ave
Artarmon NSW 2064
Phone: 02 9412 4411

High Tea At The Queen Victoria Building

August 2, 2008 / Family, friends, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

I’m a bit freaked out about having my last 20-something birthday next week. I thought I would try and celebrate it as much as possible to hopefully leave me less freaked and more excited …

I’ve been wanting to try high tea for a long time, so Beverly suggested we go for my birthday and helped me selected the perfect venue – the QVB Tearoom.

The Tearoom is situated at the top of the old QVB. I’ve been visiting the QVB all my life and never realised it was even there.

Entering the Tearoom is like taking a journey back in time to a more elegant era. The decor is amazing – beautiful plush seats, chandeliers and very smartly dressed waiters with white gloves.