I Don't Eat, I Devour

You can't talk about venerable modern Italian fine dining restaurants in Sydney without mentioning Otto. Situated along the same Wharf that brings you famed eateries such as Aki's Indian, China Doll and Manta, it attracts a very well-heeled, wealthy-retiree type of crowd on the weekend with its relaxed vibes and fine dining service. Zucchini Flowers, $31 per serve (a serve = 2 flowers) The zucchini flowers at Otto come encased in the most delicate, tempura-like batter, and is filled with ricotta and pecorino. A delicate romesco sauce provides the flavour hit to this otherwise extremely mild dish. I could taste the freshness of the produce, though it was not quite as exciting as one had hoped - mainly due to the fact that the very mild flavours failed to give the requisite pop. Spaghetti, $55 The pasta at Otto come in two sizes: entree and main. Pictured is the main serving size.  Spaghetti is served with Western Australian blue swimmer crab, chilli, garlic, and fini

The first thing to know about Ona is that it has some serious coffee pedigree. Its founder, Saša Šestić, was World Barista Champion 2015, and the team has some heavyweight accolades under its belt: ‘Australian Barista Champion’ (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), ‘Australian Brewers Cup Champion’ (2017, 2018, 2019) and ‘Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Champion’ (2018, 2019). The second thing to know about Ona is that its aesthetics is on point: clean, minimalist, soothing, with the baristas working right in front of you. Nothing hurried or chaotic about this place. The third thing to know about Ona is that it has some of the most reasonably priced and interesting beans to take home. The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about the art of the brew, and will not hesitate to give you brewing tips and make recommendations based on your preferred brewing method. During my last visit, I took home an El Salvador La Esperanza, a natural processed single origin bean with

I came across a video of Alibi on one of those "top places to take a friend in Sydney" YouTube videos and was immediately captivated by the impressive, dramatic cocktails - they looked nothing short of magical, with over-the-top presentation: liquid nitrogen haze, flower garnish, kitsch bottles (one of them came in a gun!), the works. Already intrigued, I consulted Alibi's website and discovered that the food is designed by Matthew Kenney, an American celebrity chef who specialises in vegan cooking and has no less than 12 cookbooks to his name. Not only that, they have an 8 course degustation menu boasting of very interesting and creative dishes. As a flexitarian who reduces meat intake for environmental and moral reasons, I'm always keen to discover how non-animal products can be cooked to rival traditional fine dining. Let's start with the drinks. Though the kitchen is vegan, the bar isn't. Apart from Alibi's creative cocktail offerings, there is qui

I have made no secret of my partiality towards  Harada . It is truly the best Japanese omasake experience I have had to date, and well-compensated for the loss of the Mino omasake, which had been a family favourite for years: I reviewed it shortly after the inception of this blog in 2015 , and again in 2018 . This time, I went to Harada for a casual lunch - the short but sweet lunch menu consists entirely of different kinds of ramen, with one small dish option, being gyoza. The dinner at Harada might be fancy af, the lunch is well within the cheap eats territory. Gyoza, $6  The well-coloured bottom shows that the gyoza is pan-fried. It is on the soft side, very flavourful and juicy. The rich porky goodness makes it a perfectly respectable dumpling. Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen The majority of the small ramen menu consist of chicken-broth ramen, and this is the only exception. The tonkotsu ramen (being pork bone broth) is very rich and silky in texture. It comes with a generous s

As far as views go, Hacienda is definitely up there. Located in the Pullman at Circular Quay, with a clear view of the harbour bridge, the opera house and the ferries that sail serenely on Sydney's glistening waters, Hacienda offers a stunning backdrop both day and night. If only it didn't have loud nightclub music pumping. I had called Hacienda to book the Sunday brunch - and received a call to confirm my booking. When we turned up, however, we were told that brunch finished at 1pm - right when we booked. The staff were lovely - they checked with the kitchen to see if they could still make some brunch items for us, but alas, the answer was no. The kitchen had packed up the brunch ingredients - fair enough, we were fine with ordering off the general food menu. The food menu, however, was not what we wanted: it is bar-foody and it was difficult to find things which were interesting. I suppose the whole point of the menu is to nibble while one drinks. The cocktail menu is

I tend to overlook the bustling strip in Pyrmont along Harris Street, but every time I go I enjoy myself. Gallon, which looks unassuming and cosy from the street, is actually a large eatery with a front and a back bar, and a garden area. You book by calling the owner on his mobile - and his voice is one of the kindest I have heard in a while. We're off to a good start. Primarily a wine bar, Gallon's wine list is very good, and the pour generous. There is a great variety of Australian and Europeans varieties, though the cocktail list is small. Bowl of Potatoes: $9, sweet chili & sour cream $2 The rustically named "bowl of potatoes" is a winner. Baby kipfler potatoes are squashed mercilessly, flash fried, and tossed in a delicious mix of garlic, parsley and salt. It is crunchy and satisfyingly salty. Napalese Momo Dumplings, $18.50 You know how you know dumplings are the greatest? The fact that so many cultures have their own version. In Napal, dumplin

I have now been to all three Ho Jiak locations: the original hole in the wall  in Strathfield serving cherry cheap eats, the larger but homely  Haymarket branch where I enjoyed a veritable feast, and now, the Town Hall location which serves some pretty special high-end dishes.  The main reason I had to go to Ho Jiak Town Hall ASAP is that truffle season is currently underway (one of the few perks of winter in my view), and the Town Hall branch is serving up some seriously bougie dishes.  I'm going to save the best for last and start my review, as I do my meals, with a tipple.  Leng Lui, $19; Chateau Gabriel Rose, $15 There are two cocktail lists at Ho Jiak: one Asian inspired, the other classic. Leng Lui means "pretty woman" in Malaysian, and the cocktail is certainly blushingly becoming with a jaunty chili hat. I do love a good salt rim on a drink, and the fact that it has just the tiniest of chili kick. It's refreshing and easy to drink without being