I Don't Eat, I Devour

First of all, the décor and serving ware at Edition Coffee Roasters are the wabisabi style of my dreams. Moody yet calming, simple yet elegant, they certainly elevate the dining experience.  Best known for their coffee (as the name suggests), the food served at Edition Coffee Roasters is best described as Japanese-Scandi-fusion, and will be reason for my numerous return trips. It is unsurprising that it won best café at the Time Out Food Awards 2018. Wagyu meatball don, $23.10  Most of the savoury options on the small but curated menu are sandwich-like options, therefore the wagyu meatball don (rice bowl) immediately caught my attention. Served with crunchy, marinated cucumber, crispy nori, and a soy-cured egg yolk, the konbu rice was a real highlight. Umami, gently savoury and utterly moreish, this is a rice bowl I couldn't imagine easily replicating anywhere else. Each component is so skillfully created (particularly the soy-cured yolk: truly inspired), its simplicity is deceptiv

 I found out about this little neighbourhood gem from a series during Sydney's lockdown, where a bunch of Sydney hospitality heavyweights were interviewed about the food spots that inspire them. Kepos Street Kitchen, the tiny, unassuming Middle Eastern eatery tucked away among the leafy streets of Redfern, was named by the owner of Nour (one of my favourite restaurants - read my review here ).  Fish burger, $22 Vibrant and beautiful, yet somehow still utterly simple and unfussy, this is perhaps one of the best fish burgers I have had in a long time. The fish part of the burger is more like a fish cake (the soft kind, not the bouncy Thai-cuisine kind), crumbed and fried until golden, the fish completely mashed rather than flakey and seasoned to perfection. The bright magenta and green pickles were pleasantly tart but sweet, cutting through the grease of the patty. The fresh dill - generous sprigs thereof - was an inspired touch.  Smoked Salmon Salad, $24 I usually never order salads

After months of lockdown, we are finally back, just as the weather started to warm in the Southern hemisphere and the beaches filled with revelers. Calita is on the waterfront of Bondi beach, and has the kind of bright, relaxed vibes associated with long, lazy and boozy lunches.  Various margaritas, $19-$20 Pictured are the classic margarita, the feiry-rimmed jalapeno magarita and the dainty, pretty violetta margarita. The violetta is an easy-to-drink concoction of butterfly pea infused tequila, elderflower, lime and agave. The acidity of the lime has turned the blue butterfly pea flower a pastel shade of violet.  El Pastor Cerviche, $26 Being a marisqueria (seafood restaurant), the freshness of the seafood is a huge drawing card at Calita. The kingfish is thickly sliced and very lightly acid-cured, topped with grilled pineapples and crispy canchitas. Sweet, fresh and moreish, this is a perfect way to start a meal.  Blue Swimmer Crab Tostadas, $28 Recommended by the staff as one of the