Sydney Food Archives - Page 31 of 37

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.

View of the shops below.

Lisa decides what she’ll have.

The Tearoom area – high ceilings with lots of natural light.

Prince Albert china.

Silverware! I felt so refined …

Alec is humouring me here.

So many nice things to order!

Pretty!

“Tea?”

Lisa ordered the gluten-free platter.

Shelley, Rosalie and I shared this arrangement of goodness.

Tomato and avocado sandwiches for me, tuna and chicken for the girls.

Sweeties!

Delicious scones.

This spinach and cheese thing was divine.

I ordered English breakfast – not very original but I love it.

Fresh scone – crunchy on the outside and not too doughy on the inside.

Smothered with rich jam and cream.

Pistachio meringue – deliciously light.

Cheesy thing – it was a bit over-powering for me, but everyone else loved them.

Passionfruit cream on a biscuit base. Delicious!

Little chocolate square.

Strawberry cup.

Nom nom nom-ing.

“Cheese?”

Inhaled!

“Tea?”

Very refined … where is my pinky, dammit?

Stuffed!

“Hmmm, I shall ponder it.”

“No, we’re not talking anymore.”

“She said she would be right back!”

Bev looks so stylish!

The Tearoom
Lvl 3, north end QVB
455 George St, Sydney
Ph: 02 9243 7279

Make sure to call plenty in advance for a good time slot.

Regular high tea or gluten-free high tea costs $30pp, plus 10% surcharge on weekends.

Chunky Vegetable Minestrone

July 31, 2008 / Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

One of my favourite winter dishes is the minestrone my dad makes for me. Now I’m fending for myself, I have decided to try to make it for myself.

I found this recipe in the newspaper, but modified it slightly (OK, I modified it a lot). Anything with a “*” next to it is my modification.

1 onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped (I left this out as I hate celery)
2 large carrots, diced
1 red capsicum, diced (I only added half of this)
1 yellow capsicum, diced (I only added half of this)
*4 small white potatoes, diced
*Macaroni pasta
400g tin of crushed tomatoes
400g tin of cannellini beans or chickpeas, drained (I used mixed beans)
80g peas (I used frozen and they were fine)
1 litre low-salt vegetable stock or water
Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley (I left this out)

Saute the onion , leek and garlic in a large saucepan with a little water until soft. Add the celery, carrot, potato and cook for about 5 – 10 min. I added more water to stop it burning on the bottom. Add the tomato, beans, capsicum, peas and stock. Simmer for about 30 mins. Cook the pasta separately or add in when there is about 10 minutes left to go. Soup is ready when veges are soft. Potato takes a while to cook. Season with black pepper and fold through parsley just before serving.

One very tasty vegan recipe!

All in one pot.

Adding in the pasta.

Ready!

Nice Little Things

July 27, 2008 / Shopping, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I had a sparkly day on Friday and thought I would document it!

These cute shoes I bought at Nine West a long time ago but I rarely wear them.

The “twinkle” tee I bought on sale from Peter Alexander. It’s super soft and comfy. I love it!

Sparkly pin for Daffodil Day – money goes to the Cancer Council.

Cute pink case for my iPhone that Alec bought me – deliberately not leather, what a sweetie.

Chocolates Alec brought me from Haighs – just because. 🙂 He’s such a sweetheart, thank you Alec!

DinTaiFung

July 25, 2008 / friends, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Several work colleagues have been raving about the DinTaiFung dumpling house for weeks and I finally organised to go with a few friends.

Lisa got there first and was lovely enough to line up while the rest of got ourselves there. It’s super popular and Lisa had to line up for about 30 mins. By the time we got there Lisa was at the front of the queue and we didn’t have long to wait – thanks so much Lise!

While we were waiting to get out table, the staff gave us the entire menu on a tiny form so we could order in advance. We also were given a huge menus with pictures on them – very helpful for first timers like me to know what to order!

The queue out the front.

Happy diners inside.

Poring over the menus. Too many choices!

Boys socialise. And Alec pulls a face.

We’ll take one of everything!

Lego-tastic!

So much fun it’s all a blur!

Pretty pictures in the menu.

Awww.

Nice condiments. Umm … what are they?

Some vege combination of mushrooms, seaweed and beansprouts.

Directions for newbs on how to eat dumplings without making a fool of yourself. Very helpful!

Packed!

Silken tofu topped with Pork Floss and Century Egg.

Spinach in garlic. Very tasty!

Lesson on how to eat dumplings.

Pork with fried rice.

Pork and prawn dumplings I think.

Pork and shrimp dumplings.

Food shoveling begins! The food comes out ultra fast and we literally shoveled to get it all in while it was hot. It was also very tasty so it was hard to not keep shoving it in! I keep saying shoveling … hmmm.

Lone vege dumpling for me – filled with mushrooms and green veges. It was a thick, breaded dumpling. I just couldn’t eat it all, it was so big!

My vege fried rice. It was my fave dish and was so light and fluffy I could have kept eating it all night.

The inside of the huge vege dumpling.

I have no idea what’s in this. Pork perhaps?

My vege version – also filled with more mushroom and green things. Very light and tasty. Even the non-veges liked them.

Extreme close-up!

Roar!

Sweet!

Halo!

Smile!

Being a weirdo. I think I started doing this in Japan. I am so easily influenced by those around me!

More posing.

No idea what Alec is doing here.

Group shot taken by the waiters. Happy diners! The service was amazing btw. Very smily faces and fast service.

Dessert – cookies and cream ice-cream, Asian-style. Interesting! The others laughed at me for being such a “whitey” and ordering this, and it was pretty average to be honest!

Golden taro bread. The bread bit was tasty but the rest was pretty average.

Poor Alec, I couldn’t stop taking photos!

Red bean dumplings. The inside was nice but would have been nicer in the bread that the Golden Taros was in.

Black sesame. Not to my taste at all, but very entertaining to watch Lisa try to cut with her chop sticks!

Bev tries to fit Chris’ entire hand in her mouth. Good party trick!

Modelling my new coat from the Alannah Hill 50% off sale.

Ohhh watch the little men make dumplings! I felt sorry for these guys being on display for everyone to watch them work.

Busy workers.

Chris loves pink.

I don’t know what’s going on here.

Or here …

Yes, posing again.

And again! This time in height order so I don’t look like such a giant.

Good men-folk.

Alec touches the scale on the symbolic dragon. Aparently it’s sharp!

This is the rest of the “dragon”.

Walking down to George St.

On the train coming home – Chris and Bev open their present, and play with the ribbon as they do so. Uber-cute couple.

“Oh hai!”

Bev is detained.

Excited faces opening their gift.

“Pointy!”

Lisa and I and our Tokidoki bags… Do we have a problem?

Home time!

DinTaiFung
Shop 11.04, World Square Shopping Centre,
644 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
TEL: +61 2 9264 6010

Random Food Shots

July 24, 2008 / Sydney Food / 1 Comment

Just a few tasty things I’ve eaten in the past week.

These delicious shortbread heart biscuits were served at work.

Close-up of glittery cupcake from the RSPCA ball. It was amazing! Really fresh and light, not too sugary.

Churros! I never get sick of these. They gave us so much caramel with these it made us feel ill.

Dinner at Bar Reggio

July 7, 2008 / Sydney Food / 2 Comments

I finally met up with Emily to have dinner at a place she loves in Surry Hills – Bar Reggio.

It’s a really cute little place – a hole in the wall that you’d miss if you didn’t know it was there. Bar Reggio is very much an old-school family-run place, with an extensive pasta and pizza menu. The service was friendly, the food was fast, tasty and well-priced.

I’ll be going back for more!

My vege risotto. Very nice tomato base.

Em’s fave – spaghetti bolognaise.

Dining area.

Entrance and kitchen – squishy!

The entry we almost missed.

I walked through the city to get back home – past the war memorial all lit up.

Hyde Park.

Mucking around with the camera. I love Sydney at night!

Churros, Noodles & Panda

July 5, 2008 / friends, Sydney Food / 1 Comment

The release of Kung Fu Panda sparked excitement. Panda! Kung Fu! Together at last!

We gathered at San Churros for pre movie snacks. Hot and Cold Hot Chocolate, churros and a white hot chocolate … so basically sugar and milk I believe.

Yum yum yum … the best hot chocolate ever.

Chris: “What do you mean white chocolate isn’t actually chocolate?”

Churros with chocolate.

My fave – churros with caramel.

Lisa – times three Tokidokis.

“There can be more Tokidokis?”

Chocolate is not something to be laughing at.

After the movie we needed noodles. Badly. You need to watch the movie to understand why. We set off to our fave Vietnamese place in Chatswood – Golden Bo.

Tea!

Crazy food blogger.

Helpful pics on the menu.

Where are my noodles?

Panda! Kung Fu!

Mmmm raw bean sprouts.

Mystery herb – turned out to be mint.

Mmmm smells like crack!

Vege spring rolls.

Lisa needed dumplings AND noodles.

Alec gets the same thing every time – MORE spring rolls and noodles.

My flat noodles with soya and veges… YUM!

Noodle bliss.

More spring rolls – we ordered two lots and ate them all.

This was Chris’ – I have no idea what it is.

More food? Over THERE? No WAY!

Awesome movie, awesome night.

Food & Wine Festival

June 21, 2008 / Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Lisa and I decided to attend the Sydney Food & Wine Festival today to celebrate our mutual love of food and gluttony.

There were SO many people there it was just insane. We had to have a lot of patience, both with having to wait a while to get samples or buy anything and with the people in general. Events like this with freebies and great deals always bring out the absolute worst in human nature.

Highlights included the amazing deals up for offer in most of the booths. It was like extreme grocery shopping. Lowlights included the pushing, shoving and being run over by trolleys and prams as well as carrying around my loot after purchasing it!

Entry was $25 which I thought was a bit pricey, but we DID get a free wine glass to sample wine with and take home, as well as free samples from almost every booth. Lots and lots of fun!

The Lindt booth.

The dips Lisa was in love with.

Sweet potato dip.

Lisa eating butter chicken and spinach and lentil curries with rice.

We were Tokidoki twins.

Wine tasting booth.

Food bouquets.

Pepper and spice grinders.

Chockas!

Whisk & Pin – my favourite cereal.

This gluten-free cereal has sentimental value for me.

Free Dove samples.

My favourite pasta-makers were there.

Lisa and her sausage roll for lunch.

Self-portrait.

Lisa tries another dip.

This is a huge batch of raspberries being heated up to serve with pancakes. Yuuum.

Tasty!

Nutritional goodness.

Wine!

Heading home with heavy bags.

I *may* have purchased a few things.

OK, so here is my swag.

The deals I got were amazing!

Pasta pack – gnocci, two kinds of pasta, cannelloni, homemade sauce and freezer bag – $25
Lindt – 13 full-size blocks – $25
Apples – six – $6
Instant noodles – three – $1
Lemon ice tea – $1
Iams fod food samples – free
Cucumber & pine nuts dip – free
Salt & pepper grinders – $5
Olives – two jars – $5
Stir-fry sauce – two bottles – $5

Food Etc On Friday

June 20, 2008 / Sydney Food / 1 Comment

I had an exercise bonanza today – netball (we won! yay!) followed by a dance class with Kassie. On the way home I saw this on a round-about… Yes, what looks like a very expensive sports car underneath a huge concrete block …

I then met Alec to grab some chinese from Chatswood BBQ Kitchen. Alec had this new dish called Fook Kien Fried Rice and I had the usual.

Spring rolls – with meat unfortunately so only Alec could eat them. He said they were pretty good.

Cafe Sydney

June 11, 2008 / Sydney Food / 1 Comment

I love to eat. I am a fussy eater but I eat a lot of the few foods I love.

One of the benefits of my job is I now get to occasionally eat at restaurants that I would otherwise never be able to afford, such as Cafe Sydney at Circular Quay. They didn’t have much food catered to vegetarians, but I still managed to find plenty to scoff down.

Tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, basil, aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.

Peppered wagyu carpaccio, truss cherry tomatoes, olives , baby capers, pecorino, horseradish and lemon dressing.