I Don't Eat, I Devour

A two hour train trip from Central station is all it took to get to this charming and quaint cafe ran by a cult. Yes, you read that correctly. Once known as the Common Ground, the Yellow Deli is owned and run by The Twelve Tribes, which may sound like rival families in an epic fantasy novel series, but it is a cult movement that is broadly Christian but does not align themselves to any denomination, believing all denominations are fallen. I have heard rumours of the group's interest in gathering male virgins, but we could hardly corroborate such tales with the lovely (albeit strangely mild-mannered) staff who were about to bring us food. In any case, I had no male virgins among my party to offer up anyway. Stepping into the Yellow Deli is like stepping into a tavern in Lord of the Rings, with wodden balconies and alcoves and tables with little flowers painted on them. A mythical, medieval taern - without a trace of alcohol, of course. Never mind, however, as the food is super

I have heard a great deal about Gumshara - how this tiny eatery tucked inside a seedy-looking food court in Chinatown boasts the thickest Tonkotsu broth in all of Sydney. I already have a few ramen places I enjoy - Menya, in particular, comes to mind - so I was never quite motivated to seek Gumshara out. However, I was in the neighbourhood yesterday and decided to hunt this top-rated ramen down. It was quite difficult to find the spot - it really is buried deep inside a seriously depressing food court. It proudly displays a sign that says "no MSG" - in fact, that sign is larger than the Gumshara sign. I have to say that the broth is absolutely impressive considering it contains no MSG - the umami flavour is incredible. I added a soft boiled, seasoned egg to my order for an additional $2, and boy oh boy was that $2 well spent. I have never had a better soft boiled seasoned egg anywhere, including Menya, Ryo's, and various other ramen places I've been to. The eggyol

One of my most anticipated new openings in the past couple of months, Loluk boasts authentic Southern French cuisine. Nestled in an extremely French-style terrace, the scene is perfect for some provincial food. On Sundays, Loluk puts on a two-course brunch with rose for $49. The entree choices are as follows. Gazpacho Personally, I have never understood the charm of gazpacho - if I want soup, I want it hot and comforting. Gazpacho is, however, perfect for a summer's day. The gazpacho at Loluk is well balance in flavour and served with crusty baguette. Goat cheese salad The goat cheese comes in the form of cheese croquettes. It is hearty, heavy and creamy, paring perfectly with a light salad with a simple vinaigrette dressing. Tuna tartare My choice of entree is the tuna tartare, and it is my favourite out of the entree choices. Though called tartare, the tuna is actually slightly cooked - or more accurately, cured in lemon juice a la ceviche. There were onl

Two Chaps is a from-scratch bakery / cafe that also make their own pickles, pastas and a range of other pantry goodies. I can't wait to go back for dinner. As a prelude to what I know will be an amazing dinner extravaganza, here's a sneak peak at their lunch menu. But first, a beverage. beetroot iced chocolate, $4.50 Apart from being absolutely beautiful and infinitely Instagrammable, the taste of beetroot iced chocolate is pretty magical. The natural sweetness of beetroot adds an oh-so-light, non-cloying sweetness to cocoa that is perfect for a sweltering summer's day. Jackfruit burger with potato skin and salad, $21 Two Chap's version of burger is as creative as it gets - no thank you, tempe; no thank you, tofu; no thank you, mushroom. Two Chap's meat-substitute is pulled jackfruit, which is a pretty special south east Asian tropical fruit that has a distinctly "meaty" texture, so I guess it actually makes a lot of sense. Rested on a fluf

Usually, 5 star hotels come with exceptional restaurants attached - and unfortunately, the JPB restaurant falls very short - to the point I had to double check that the Swisshotel is indeed a 5 star hotel. However, let me first give credit where credit is due: the service at JPB is superb. The staff were attentive and polite. The decor, on the other hand, is awful - the noise of the Crossroad bar disrupts the dining experience, and I feel like I'm not dining in a hotel restaurant, but in the breakfast buffet hall (which is unsurprising because the JPB restaurant doubles as the breakfast hall in the morning, but the point is, if you can't transform the space completely for dinner, then dinner is going to seem like a disappointing, overpriced affair). Is the food any good? I could forgive lack-lustre atmosphere for excellent food. Alas, the food was even more disappointing than the atmosphere. Half dozen oysters, $24 Despite it being oyster season when I dined at the

A restaurant with a somewhat odd name and hard to find doorway, and a gregarious owner with a loud personality, Luyu and Yum Yum is a surprisingly delightful experience. Though at first blush one may think the dumplings are a tad overpriced, that's only because you haven't seen their banquet menus yet. Ranging between $43 to $59, the banquet menus are seriously good value and designed to be shared among friends. Also, the pastry chef at Luyu and Yum Yum is a jealously guarded treasure according to the owner, who has had to fight off attempts to poach her from nearby businesses. Duck Pan Cake The duck pancakes is balanced - not too salty, not to oily. It is light yet satisfying, a perfect way to start the meal. Mr Luyu Herb Dumpling Very fresh and tasting of virtue (given the vegetables). “Kiss me” Dumpling The cutely-named "kiss me" dumplings are well-made, but cannot be compared to the xiao long bao (as that is essentially what kiss me dumplings a

A couple of weeks ago, a dear friend of mine gifted me a box of Haigh's chocolates because I was feeling down in the dumps. He reassured me that he personally made every choice of chocolate rather than leaving me to the shop assistance's mercy. So I thought, what better way to repay my friend's generosity than to judge him on his choice of chocolates? Lemon Myrtle Cream I'm going to start with my favourite. The lemon myrtle cream is a stand out - the soothing, lemon-balm-like flavour of the lemon myrtle is perfectly captured in this chocolate, and the choice of dark chocolate casing ensures that the flavours are well balanced and not overly sweet. Cherry Liquer  Anything alcoholic is hard to beat, but I particularly enjoyed this complex chocolate that boasts of multiple textures. I like the way it explodes like a bomb (a boozy bomb, which is the only good kind of bombs) when you bite into it; and I like the almost-jelly-like texture in the centre.