I Don't Eat, I Devour

Afternoon tea is a Mother's Day tradition in my family. Over the years, I have taken my mum to most of the afternoon tea purveyors in Sydney, and Mode Kitchen at the Four Seasons stands out for its beautiful, romantic atmosphere.  Situated on the second floor complete with a harpist and directly across a wall of beautiful ceramic ware, the afternoon tea set up is at once private (because you're not looking directly at any other table) yet on display (comme Marie Antoinette) because you are seated right above the hotel foyer.  The tea selection is small, but curated; and ceremoniously brought to the table for selection. The purveyor is Jing Tea. I highly recommend the Flowering Osmanthus, which is a green tea with osmanthus flower, giving the tea a subtle yet warm sweetness.  Unlike most afternoon teas, the savoury layer is in the middle tier, rather than the bottom tier. From left to right, we have a lemon stracciatella and broccolini vol au vent with caviar (at an additional c

Bar Topa remains one of my favourite spots in Sydney's CBD. A little gem of Spanish corner, it reminds me of the holiday I had in Barcelona where I enjoyed a whole host of pintxos - little bite-sized treats to accompany a drink or two.  The cocktails at Bar Topa are little half-pours, which means you can mix and match to your heart's content. At $8 a pour, these cute little numbers don't make a big dent in one's pocket either. Note, however, that the cocktails are pre-made and therefore you won't be able to make adjustments (for example, they only make a vodka martini, not a gin martini). Mezcal a la moda, Martini Croquetta, $5 each There are three varieties of croquetta - ham (being these ones), spinach and ricotta, and mushrooms. Deep fried and deeply satisfying, they are so fluffy and soft they barely require chewing; and although they are golden brown, they are not greasy at all.  Chorizo, $10 Plump and juicy, with a satisfying bite, the extremely flavourful cho