I Don't Eat, I Devour

One of Sydney's most exciting new restaurant / bar combo in the heart of Newtown, Odd Culture boasts an excellent wine list and one of the best value banquets I have had. When stepping into the space, the lofty ceilings immediately transport you away from the bustling, slightly crowded streets of Newtown.  The anchovy cigars caught our eye, so we ordered some in addition to the generously portioned set menu. Crispy, delicate and savoury, the already complex flavours of anchovies are enhanced further by the addition of olive and taramasalata.  Anchovy cigars, $7 each The house bread is curiously named "beer bread". It is a house baked sourdough with house butter, which is rich and generously sprinkled with coarse sea salt. The fluffy bread is a wonderful start to the meal - especially if you're also washing the food down with a couple of cocktails.  As a refreshing first course, disks of cucumber is tossed in silky preserved tofu and salted chilli. The contrasting text...

Since the last time I visited Automata in 2018 , the restaurant is now two-hatted. It continues to serve innovative dishes using unusual ingredients on an ever-changing degustation menu, and I think it has leaned in even further towards its East-meets-West fusion concept in both technique and flavours.  white sturgeon caviar, oyster emulsion, celery If there is one dish that defines the taste of the ocean, this would be it. The oyster emulsion is extremely creamy and light in flavour, balancing the little bursts of sturgeon caviar and the fine, pickled celery. With so many interesting textures, this is the perfect amuse bouche to awaken the taste buds in preparation for the amazing dishes to come.  A series of further amuses bouche Starting at the bottom, we have darling little crumbed anchovy olives - the olive maintains its burst-in-mouth juiciness which, along with its saltiness, cuts right through the grease of the deep fried crumbs. The pistachio, preserved lemon and crem...

When was the last time you had some truly interesting brunch? Sydney-siders are famous for our love for the good old avo-on-toast, but as satisfying as a perfectly-ripened, expertly-smashed avo-on-toast might be,  nothing beats the delight in discovering interesting, creative, and oh-so-delicious food heavily influenced by other cultures.  Cafe Rumah specialises in South East Asian goodies. I went specifically for the kaya toast, which is a Singaporean dish. Singapore is a melting pot of several cultures and has a wonderfully diverse food culture, and I wish we had more of it in Sydney. Turns out, everything we tried were absolutely incredible.  The Kopitiam Brekkie, $7.50 + $5 for eggs Kaya is a sweet coconut spread. The Kopitiam Brekkie, which is essential kaya toast, involves Japanese-style milk bun roast slices served with butter, kaya, and...wait for it...onsen eggs. The onsen eggs are an optional extra, but I highly recommend that you give it a go. As strange a swee...

 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 ...

Though it calls itself a cafe, this cute little eatery close to Redfern train station has some seriously good bites which are moe than enough to fill the belly. Its impressive but curated menu features all sorts of delectable dishes with distinct regional influences: some Middle Eastern flair here, some Thai heat there, but delicious food everywhere.  Little bit shellfish, $22 The cutely named "little bit shellfish" features a generous serving of plump, juicy scallops tossed in a Thai-inspired chili jam base, served with snow peas, Thai eggplant and fresh chili. All that goodness rests on a bed of squid ink pasta, which is cooked to perfection. I am a huge fan of this kind of fusion meal, and I was seriously impressed with the value.  Bangkok breakkie eggs, $18 What a way to spice up boring ol' fried eggs! 2 fried eggs are served with ham, chorizo cherry tomatoes, a lathering of sirracha sauce, and to help all that flavourful goodness go down, a couple of slices of sourdo...

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...

The chef is Finnish, the old location is Darlinghurst, the menu is short and sweet, the taste is fusion. Welcome to Cafe Paci 2.0 - this time, located along the bustling main strip of Newtown and conveniently only a couple doors down from Mapo, my favourite gelato place in Sydney. I had heard s much about its molasses and potato bread that this accompaniment to a meal is what I had looked forward to the most. Potato molasses bread, $4 each These are heavy - that's the first thing I noticed about them. Heavy, however, doesn't mean stodgy. It is a style of bread that is different to my favourite, being the sourdough at Kitchen By Mike, yet it is neither dry nor overly chewy. It is comforting, with a slight sweet stickiness that isn't intrusive. Chicken liver paris-brest w’ onion jam, $16 This is my favourite item on the menu. Shaped like a desssert - the pastry usually reserved for  sweet cream and jam is revolutionised to hold liver pate and onion jam. The slig...

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 ...