I Don't Eat, I Devour

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 ...

I have a lot of memories of this place. When I first came to Australia as a child, this  was one of my parents' favourite places to eat to comfort their "Chinese stomachs". There are quite a bit of similarities between the taste profiles of Shanghainese cuisine and Taiwanese cuisine, now that I think about it: both cuisine prefer that lovely umami sweet-savoury and dainty little portions. Even some of our breakfast foods are just variations on a theme.  This, for example. Glutinous rice logs filled with fried dough stick (you tiao), Taiwan-style pork floss (which is a little sweeter and more toasted than its arch-competitor, the Taichang-style pork floss) and preserved raddish. It is filling, comforting and texturally varied (chewy and soft vs crunchy). It is also easily transported, so a perfect breakfast-on-the-go or snack item. The Shanghainese version is shaped like a ball and sometimes replaces the pork floss and preserved raddish with preserved vegetables.  Egg panc...

 Harris Park is filled with wonderful, authentic Indian restaurants. It's quite a far way from where I live, so every time I go, it feels like quite the occasion and a special treat. There are many restaurants dotted around the main strip. Dosa Hut is a chain - and despite its name, its menu stretches well beyond dosa alone.  Coconut Summer Cooler $6.95 The day on which we visited Dosa Hut was a scorcher - the type where even a few minutes in the sun is enough to burn one up. On days like these, the coconut summer cooler certainly does what its name promises: a refreshing, sweet, coconut-and-lime concoction that cools one down.  Samosa Chat, $9.95 Samosa Chat is my favourite Indian appetiser. The best way I have to describe it is samosas smashed in a minty yogurt sauce. The complex curry flavour of the potato-filled, hot samosas form an interest contrast against the cold, tamarind-sour sauce to create quite the flavour explosion. For those who cannot take a lot of heat, f...

 Labelled one of the most instagrammable cafes in Sydney, Two Sis draws a crowd. Not a crazy, line-wrapping-around-the-street-corner kind of crowd, but there is always one or two groups of people hovering nearby, waiting for tables.  What could they be waiting for? Well... This is the omasake noodles - and I think, the best thing on the menu. Scallops, seared salmon rosette and a soft-boiled egg-yolk lay on top of a bed of soba noodles. The fish roe adds a wonderful crunchy texture, and the edible flowers are dainty and pretty. It is served with a pit of piping hot soy-based sauce. Not only is it beautiful, it is really quite delicious. When I was served my food, the people the next table over became visibly, and audibly, envious.  Is this not the most appetising-looking nourish bowl you have ever seen? Looking utterly, gorgeous balanced, positively popping with nutrients.  The drink at Two Sis are equally beautiful.  Piled high with rosewater-flavoured Persian ...

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 b...

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...

Ultra-minimalist and ultra-chic, Kuro is a Japanese restaurant that is not very Japanese. The techniques are modern, the ingredients are non-traditional, and really there are only little hints of Japanese elements in their delicious dishes. Kuro Chiffon, $5 A tiny morsel that turns the expectation up-side-down: a savoury chiffon cake? Topped with nori-flavoured creme fraiche and salmon roe, I think I will have all future chiffon cakes salty, please.  Tomato, $14 One of my favourite dishes of the evening: refreshing tomatoes on a bed of stracciatella (the burrata-like cheese, not the choc-chip ice-cream) and topped with a savoury, umami jelly film, this is one refreshing and moreish dish.  King Prawn, $14 each Deep fried so every element is edible (including the head and tail, we were told - though I'm not so sure about that), the king prawn is served with a prawn butter and encased in arare (Japanese rice cracker crumbs). I found the dish somewhat ...

"A little bit of everything" - that's my favourite way to enjoy food, second only to a lovely, long, decadent degustation. And if those little bits of everything are already portioned out and assembled upon my plate? Even better.  Located on Glebe Point Road, Dish is a Sri Lankan eatery that offers just the kind of one-board-many-components-wonders I so enjoy.  Special Lunch Set Menu, $24.90 Look at that spread.  Let's take a closer look at each component, shall we? Ah, egg hopper. I am a huge fan of the hopper - airy, chewy, and when combined with an egg, even better. It is the perfect vessel for the range of sambal and curries served along side it. Speaking of vessels, the roti at Dish is, to be perfectly honest, disappointing. It was a little hard and floury, and for a person of my appetite (which is average and by no means small, despite what my stature may otherwise indicate) it is just a waste of stomach space.  What was even more disapp...