I Don't Eat, I Devour

Nestled above The Village Inn in Paddington and entered through a very discreet door, entering The Print Room is like going back to the 1920s. It is rather fitting to sip some Prohibition-style cocktails in tea cups in this lovely setting.On the menu today are three courses of cocktails matched with canapes. First Course The cocktails are off to a strong start with The Duke of Earl : a slightly bitter and very alcoholic concoction, this cocktail combines earl grey tea-infused whisky, brandy, white chocolate syrup, lavender bitters, lemon and a Pernod absinthe rinse. Deadly. Matched with the cocktail is a tiny buttermilk  scone, no bigger than a mouthful or two, served with strawberry jam and what tastes like butter with truffle oil. The salty and sweet strikes the right balance. Second Course  The second cocktail is a much sweeter and smoother affair. The Capetonian combines an equal measure of Bombay Sapphire gin, Campari, rooibos tea liquor, rhubarb

This year, the theme of Azuma's sugar rush concoction is 'a recreation of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory: an innovative combination of Eastern and Western sweets'. I recall in the past few years, Azuma has also delivered an 'East meets West' themed dessert. On the left we have the 'Western' bento, named 'Enchanted Forest'; and on the right the 'Eastern' bento, named 'Zen Garden'. Enchanted Forest Bento From the top, the Enchanted Forest consists of a raspberry log with a chocolate mushroom perched on top, and a mango sorbet sitting on a bed of chocolate biscuit 'soil'.  The raspberry log is alright, and the cream in the centre is neither too sweet not too dense. The mango sorbet is predictably refreshing, with a chocolate on top. The chocolate mushroom I have had from a packet in Asian supermarkets. Zen Garden The Zen Garden consists of Asian crackers dipped in chocolate, dried mango dipped in choco

Bar Hop involves various drinking holes across Sydney offering a small morsel of food accompanied by a cocktail for $20. Rise & Shine The cocktail, Rise & Shine, is a refreshing concoction of Tanqueray gin, cloudy apple juice, cucumber, lime, and house-made green tea & mint-infused syrup. It tastes very similar to a Mojito, so if that's the kind of cocktails you love, you'll like this one. Pork Belly Slider The cocktail is accompanied by a slow-cooked caramelised Berkshire pork belly slider, apple & daikon slaw and Sriracha mayo; which is further accompanied by pork crackling, beetroot, celeriac and sweet potato chips. Out of all the Bar Hop deals I have seen, this is among the best. Score: 4 / 5 The food and the cocktail are great and of good value; the service slightly questionable though by no means terrible: I felt bad for the people who had their belongings unceremoniously moved by the waiter so we could sit down - especially when I saw

Every October, I try to do one hats off dinner event as the highlight of Good Food Month. This month, I'm at Lox, Stock & Barrel in Bondi enjoying a trip down the silk road. Cocktail The cocktail of the evening is made of Tanqueray gin, green apple juice and basil. It's fruity and refreshing; but if you're not much of a cocktail-fan, you also have the choice of a Singleton Single Malt Whisky. The food menu is designed to be shared, so grab a few friends and enjoy a culinary adventure that takes you from the Mediterranean to the Middle East then to the Far East! Mezze  The Awesome Foursome Starting from the top left and going clockwise, we have ful medames (fava bean salad), hazelnut tarator, hummos and tzatziki. The hummos is particularly delicious, as is the ful medames.  These came accompanied by soft, fresh nigella bread.  Nigella Bread Fried Baby Fish & Wild Green Salad The crispy fried baby fish is cooked with turmeric and c

OCD Approved Wall of Tequila Mejico is decidedly exciting, especially when seated at the bar. The table is reasonably roomy (though you may need to have your dishes brought to one one at a time), and more importantly you get to watch all the buzzing action going on at the bar, as well  as have your OCD tendencies soothed by the logically organised, colourful bottles of Tequila. Water Served in Tequila Bottles  As this is our second restaurant in the same evening, we opt for something light. Guacamole, $14 A signature dish, the guacamole is supposed to be 'smashed table-side' - though being seated at th bar may have hindered this procedure. In any case, our guacamole was served as is; and with plantain chips. Plantain, I learned, is a type of banana; except not sweet. It has a light, crispy texture due to being fried; but you can taste that distinctive starchiness of bananas. The guacamole is seasoned with serrano chili and pistachio, and is smooth and has a

The beautiful interior at this Potts Point gem signalled the delicious meal that was to come. The room is a charming mish-mash of different styles: the tiles are distinctively Ottoman Empire; the furniture and ceiling are inner-city heavy-industrial; the wallpaper almost hailing from the Far-East; the utensils Moroccan; and the range of baked goods and coffee machine very European. Kazbah Potts Point Minty water from pretty jars taste better. Fact. The Good Food Month event, Beautiful Beginnings, allows you to choose between Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Morrocan sets; with a sweet dish and a savoury dish each. My friend and I left our fate to the chatty, cheeky and fabulous waiter, so I couldn't tell you what we actually ended up with. Unlike most meals, this meal starts with dessert. The childhood me is overjoyed. Churros with chocolate Slightly crunchy on the outside but quite chewy inside, these golden artery-cloggers come with a generous serving of rich

A couple days late, but Jenna, this one's for you :) Sugar rush is one of my absolute favourite events during Good Food Month for blatantly obvious reasons - just look at this dome of joy. What's not to love? As with every sugar rush event this year, every dessert comes with a glass of delicious Yulumba dessert wine, with a hint of chamomile to help smooth the sugary goodness down with more sugary goodness. Let's break this stately pleasure dome down: Starting from the Bottom layer: Lemon curd: the lemon curd is on the sweeter side, not very cheek-puckering.  Berry coulis: with raspberry and strawberry, again this is on the sweet side.  Cardamon crunch: provides some interesting texture for an otherwise sweet and soft dessert Raspberry meringue nest with strawberry inside Lemon cheesecake disk: smooth and buttery, very satisfying Raspberry fairy floss: unlike a lot of restaurants which have given in to the Persian fairy floss crazy, this dessert comes w

Taiwanese cuisine is a little like Shanghainese cuisine in that it's quite sweet, and not very spicy. The name of the restaurant, 'bao dao', translates to 'treasure island' - due to its subtropical location, Taiwan has an abundance of delicious fruits and its cuisine has influences from the Hokkien region and a little Japanese influence as well. Gua-Bao I was most excited for an item which has gathered increasing popularity in New York as something of an Asian tacos: the gua-bao, or simply, 'bao' (written and pronounced differently to the 'bao' in 'bao dao'). Pork Belly Gua-Bao, $4.5 The bun of the bao is white and fluffy, and has quite a sweet taste without going directly into flavour-clashing or sweet-and-salty territory. I was momentarily spooked by the pork belly due to its thick fat layer, but once you bite into it, the pork is simply so melt-in-your-mouth and doesn't taste oily or greasy at all. The coriander adds a herbal,

In a desperate bid for increased popularity, I have engaged a mystery guest to showcase some amazing food and share the recipes so that you can recreate these mighty fine dishes in the comfort of your own homes.  I STARTER: FRESHLY EXPOSED OYSTERS The key to great oysters, apart from freshness, is the manner in which the oyster flesh have been exposed. They must be exposed to the standard of Summary Offences Act  1988 (NSW) s 5. Only then can one boast a truly fine-dining standard experience.  s 5 Exposed Oysters Method: Locate liberal-minded oysters Embarrass oysters, but do not wash the oysters in fresh water  Put on stage with lemon wedges.  II AGITATED SCALLOPS WITH PEA PUREE AND CRISPY PROSCIUTTO Scallops are calm creatures which require some level of agitation to release their natural pheromone. Supple flesh must be treated with all due respect, and handled with kid gloves (made of real kids). These gentle creatures, upon agitation, are best subdue

 Good Food Month, the highlight of my year, followed closely by Eurovision. If you didn't know what Good Food Month is about, I shall say 2 things:  You have definitely been missing out; and You need to get on the bandwagon ASAP. Stop one of Good Food Month for me this year is Signorelli Gastronomia. I visited them around this time last year for a Hanging Garden of Babylon of a dessert, so needless to say I'm pretty excited about their offering this October as well. Situated in Pyrmont Bay within the Accenture Building, Signorelli Gastronomia  boasts two impressive cellars, a cheese room stocked with local and international cheeses, and an attached shop selling all kinds of goodies to fill an Italian pantry. The service is very friendly and a little quaint - I heard a hilarious story about a friend being chastised by the maitre d' for daring to attempt purchasing proscuitto on the wrong day of the week. I LET'S TALK CHALK AND CHEESE 3 Cheeses Platter (s