I Don't Eat, I Devour

In addition to wines for which the region is famous, the hunter Valley also boasts of restaurants that have made waves in the culinary scene - the wonderfully creative, impressive Exp comes to mind - but if we are to think of the grand-doyenne of the Hunter dining scene, a great portion of people will likely think of Muse. As it turned out, in the immediate aftermath of easing covid restrictions to not-quite-pre-covid levels, Muse required very advanced booking in order not to miss out. That's why we ended up visiting its little sibling, Muse Kitchen.  Located at the Keith Tulloch winery, Muse Kitchen is a cozier, more casual eatery than Muse. It has a bustling, homey feel, and boasts a three course menu featuring a variety of produce from which to make a selection. The menu, however, remains small and classic, changing with the seasons.  Kingfish tartar A fish tartar, to me, is sashimi amped up. Served in a fried coriander dressing and with tomatoes, the king fish is ever so sligh

 What makes a neighbourhood gem? I would say a neighbour gem must have a homely feel, a buzzing atmosphere, some friendly staff and some hearty, unpretentious, delicious food. Kindred fulfils all of these criteria, and on the food front, absolutely exceeds expectations. The chef's menu, at $58 per person, is possibly the best value degustation I have seen in a long time, and truly showcases the breadth of Kindred's offerings.  First, we have a smoked trout dip  with pickled onion on lavosh. It certainly lives up to its purpose: being the amuse bouche, it is salty, deep and immediately wakes up the taste buds.  The bread at Kindred is every bit as good as those from Kitchen By Mike (which anyone who knows me would know has my absolute favourite sourdough - I've written all about it here). It is chewy, fluffy, crusty, and dangerously moreish. I had to resist the urge to finish the giant piece with which we were presented so I had room for all the other deliciousness to come. 

If you're after views, one restaurant simply cannot be missed: the Dining Room at the Park Hyatt hotel. Being relatively modest in size, even if you do not get a window seat (which we did, lucky us), you are still guaranteed a view of the beautiful Sydney Opera House, and, from time to time, one of the old-style sailing boats moors right in front of the restaurant windows.  At the moment, due to covid restrictions, the Dining Room is not doing their tasting menu. The usual two or three course menu, however, is beautifully done; and because the menu is so limited, the really do each of the items very well.  Sydney rock and Pacific oysters Gazing upon the opera house, I simply could not resist ordering the oysters, which are served with a shallot and red wine mignonette. The mignonette immediately makes the oysters' flavour come to life: a little metallic, a little salty, just like the sea.  Air dried David Blackmore Wagyu beef David Blackmore's wagyu are coveted items on Syd

Frankly, I don't know how an afternoon tea could be simply a between-meal filler, ever. Every time I go to afternoon tea, I almost roll out, groaning with fullness. A little bit here, a little nibble there, add up very quickly. That's part of the charm of an afternoon tea: enjoying morsels of different texture, flavour profiles, all packaged up in dainty, almost-too-pretty-to-eat packages.  As delightful as afternoon teas generally are, it is not often the case that every single component of an afternoon tea is exquisitely executed. The Langham's afternoon tea manages exactly that: every component of this Christmas themed afternoon tea is beautifully presented, and absolutely delicious.  From front to back, let's start with the chicken and leek pie topped with onion jam. Served still slightly warm (though it would be just as delicious stone-cold), this is one of the best pies I have had, tiny as it is. The onion jam is on the sweet side, which rather perfectly balances