I Don't Eat, I Devour

I love deli fare. I love the cheese (in spite of my heart-breaking lactose intolerance which prevent me from enjoying them to my heart's content), the cold meats, the fancy European products and the alcohol. Continental Deli is pretty much what my lunch happy-place looks like.  The house drink is a delicious, sweetly-boozy number that tastes akin to a Negroni but so light and refreshing you can easily drink it on a hot summer's day, washing down the salty and cheesy goodness you can't help but order. Continental Deli boasts a good cheese collection (though not as impressively large as the Stinking Bishop), and instead of serving cheese with a quince paste or the like, they serve cheese with jam - surprising, but equally delicious.  Cured meats are served with an amazing bread (not pictured) which is soft on the inside, enveloped in a beautifully chewy crust. One of the best breads I have ever had, and that's no exaggeration. The meat selection is also

I love burgers. Luckily, so does the rest of Sydney, and our collective picky palates have pressured restaurants to start serving increasingly delicious and innovative burgers in order to come out on top. Let's battle out a couple of the 'cult' burgers everyone is talking about. Jack's Newtown  Jack's is worth the hype. I loved this burger. The buns are milky soft, the patty beautifully fresh and cooked very well, and they were very heavy-handed with the sauce (which I personally love, but may not be to everyone's taste). The vegetarian version is also delicious, and they both come at the rootin'-tootin' price of $10 each. If I have one criticism, it's that they didn't drain the salad enough, resulting in a slightly soggy bottom bun. 4 / 5 One Tea Grill  One Tea Grill is apparently the place to go to for your matcha fix. Their burgers come in two signature forms: the green tea bun burger, and the ramen burger. I picked the ramen b

I have wanted to try Mr Bao for a while. Gua Bao has gained increasing popularity in the US, being the new 'tacos', and I love a good Asian-with-a-twist. Mr Bao, located inside an office building, is only open weekdays, so I used the opportunity of catching up with an old colleague to try this place out. The premise is very small - barely seating 10 people - but because most patrons are office workers ducking out for a quick lunch, it is not difficult to get a seat. Pork Belly Bao, $6 The bun is sweet and fluffy, the pork belly well cooked, with a satisfying dollop of sweet thick soy sauce and very tender meat. Tofu Bao, $6 The Tofu Bao is a little bland - though this bao is also drizzled with the think sweet soy sauce and accompanied by pickles, the tofu itself was not marinated so the middle tastes, well, just like tofu. Salad My friend opted for the salad, which was crunchy, fresh and good value for money. Like me, she also found the tofu to be a little o

Sotto on West, like so many of Sydney's suburban cafes, wins on freshness. The food is simple, more a task of construction (putting together a number of good-quality ingredients) than a showcase of culinary skill; with a simple, predictable menu to match. These comments, however, are not intended to be criticisms - uncomplicated fare is deceptive in its simplicity, and it is difficult to satisfy the increasingly picky and spoilt Sydney-siders. Sotto on West does a commendable job of making simple, predictable cafe fare a satisfying meal. Toast with Sides  This dish is a perfect example of what I meant when I wrote that cafe fare is more a task of construction than culinary flair. The dish is extremely simple - some toast with bacon, mushrooms, poached eggs and barbeque sauce on the side. What is important, then, is that the quality of the ingredients be high. Sotto on West uses fresh ingredients which makes this simple dish quite delightful and satisyfing. My Moroccan Aff

Situated very closely and conveniently to Central Station is what may become one of my new favourite cafes. Haven Tailoring Coffee Joyously (apparently that's the name - Google Maps says so) is a delightful coffee brewery that specialises in tailoring coffees to your taste - you can, for example, ask for a flat white with more acidity and longer-lasting aftertaste; or a cappuccino with more sweetness - which I'm sure will delight those who are very particular with their cup of the-most-popular-drug-in-the-world. Because I'm the kind of person who can never say no to 'limited edition', I opt for the Christmas Set Menu, which includes a drink, a choice between two dishes, and a dessert. Marilyn Marilyn is a refreshing iced tea mocktail that consists of watermelon, honey, lemon and cold brewed Mary Mary tea. It is slightly acidic, but very light and perfect for a summer's day. Baked Duck Brest Burger Between a choice of sobanara beetroot and baked duc

Hidden underneath an apartment complex in Putney, Zaitoune may be something of a local secret. In fact, it is so well hidden that you will find when you punch "Zaitoune Putney" into Google, the top results are planning permissions, and you have to dig around a little bit before finding the address of this eatery. Empty and deserted, however, it is not - the place is absolutely packed, and the lovely hosts had to pull up extra tables and chairs for my dinner companion and me. So there we were, eating an obscene amount of food uncovered, with gusts of wind threatening to topple everything from empty soda cans to bread basket. The food makes it all worthwhile. Zaitoune Half Meter Mezze Board Yep, it's half a metre's worth of shish tawook, kafta, toume, hummus, tzatziki, tabouli, kibbi, sambousek, fatoush, olives and mixed pickles.  My top tip? Don't be embarrassed to ask for a take-away container early on in the meal so you can pack half of your share for la

Kobe Jones put on a Christmas Feast for a mish mash of characters - people who don't celebrate Christmas, tourists, people who can't be bothered, and happy people (it has been said that happiness is a close-knit, loving family in another city). This eye-popping seven-course-long feast starts with a sake upon arrival, served chilled.On every table are Christmas crackers, and I got what I believed was a distress-call whistle (I'm not Grinch), but it turned out to be a mini sticky tape dispenser - I love it! So with alcohol and stationery, my night started right. Sake The sake served is Miyamizu, it is very light, you barely feel the alcohol. Number One Special Number One Special, dissected Th e first dish of the evening was also the highlight of the evening. The "Number One Special" is a crab salad with avocado, wrapped in kingfish and nori. Drenched in Kobe J ones secret sauce , it was truly delicious.    Seafood Platter  An Aussie Ch