I Don't Eat, I Devour

The first time I tried Ho Jiak, I traveled to Strathfield and ate at their little hole-in-the wall joint, teetering my milo-infused laksa (yes, you read that correctly) dangerously on a little stool. Since then, Ho Jiak has opened a decent-sized restaurant in Chinatown, and it has come a long way from its humble street-eats roots. It even boasts two tasting menus - one omnivorous, one vegetarian. My friends and I, of course, had to try both. Get ready to carry a food baby by osmosis, because this is going to be a huuuuge review. Ho Jiak Tasting Menu  Nasi Lemak in a Bite This may only be "a bite", but it sure packs a punch. Arguably the national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak is rice cooked with coconut milk and in pandan leaf, which gives it its enticing fragrance - it is topped with crushed peanuts, sambal and accompanied by a rich shot of laksa broth. Kiam Ah Nui Kay Perfectly fried chicken bits on the bone in salted egg-yolk coating. Salted egg yolk has go

An izakaya is a Japanese pub, but unlike Australian pubs where it is filled with pokie machines and beer-soaked bar tables, the izakaya focuses on food just as much as on alcohol - and as a lover of both food and alcohol (and who thinks slamming down drinks until you black out is a despicable waste of calories allowance and alcohol), I can certainly get behind the concept. It would appear that so is everybody else - make sure you book! The place is completely packed out by 6pm; and the first time I visited (hoping to just drop in), I wasn't able to because, again, the place was already packed out. Goryon-san has an impressive list of Japanese whiskey, sake, umeju (plum wine), but I'm here for the food - to be specific, the mouth-watering skewers cooked right before your eyes in the open grill kitchen. LPB Skewers (sauce / chese), $7.50 per serve  LPB, I presume, stands for lettuce pork belly. One head of lettuce yields only 5 skewers, it is wrapped around some fat

Lechon is whole pig skewered and cooked over hot coals until the skin is crispy to the point of crunchiness. Sydney Cebu Lechon just made the list as one of Sydney's best cheap eats. It is a no-frills restaurant run by the most friendly staff - so no frills that even after our lovely waiter explained the menu to us, we still had to go up to the counter to order and pay - but that lends the whole experience quite an authentic easy charm. Cebu Lechon, approx $23  Served with a bowl of broken rice, fish sauce and pickles, the roasted pork is the main game at Sydney Cebu Lechon. The skin is incredible - absolutely crunchy, the meat is slightly tougher than I'd imagined but so flavourful - the saltiness drenched into every fibre. Pork skewers, approx $23 I am glad we ordered the pork skewers, for their sauce if nothing else (though the meat is quite delicious). The cebu lechon dish, though delicious, could not satisfy a salt-fiend like me, so the sauciness of the skewers

Earlier this year, I went to Spain for the first time and fell in love with pintxos and tapas. Of the two, I prefer tapas, because it really stands for everything I love: small quantity, being able to try multiple dishes, and the ability to lazily pick at one's food while focusing on conversation with friends. Sydney had not had a strong tapas game previously - there were a few tapas restaurants, but they focused on what Australians think tapas should be (garlic prawns, meat balls - sound familiar?), in a regular restaurant setting, and the meal always end up being pretty poor value. The arrival of Bar Topa is an absolute game-changer. Nestled in the Ivy complex, Bar Topa only seats about 30 people. The prime position is along the bar where the bar items are displayed - you have the best view of the kitchen, and your dishes are put on top of the glass display cabinet in a charming, casual manner, giving you the optimal elbow room in a pint sized bar. After trying their food,