I Don't Eat, I Devour

Cafe Cre Asian is hidden in an unassuming little lane way right next door to the hole-in-the-wall Berta, which is one of my favourite restaurants of all time (check out my review here ). Cre Asian is joining its esteemed neighbour among the rank of my favourite places in Sydney to satiate my love of fine food. Although it truly is tiny - not much bigger than what is shown in this picture - the quality and variety of food coming out of this kitchen is amazing. The most famous item on Cre Asian's menu is its matcha latte, which comes in an artisanal-looking bowl with a generous serving. This is hands down the best matcha latte I have ever had. When you first drink it, it is quite sweet - but the high quality matcha flavour chases up quickly and leaves a distinctive bitterness behind that is oh-so-satisfying. I think this has ruined all other matcha lattes for me - in comparison, the others just taste too milky, too watery, and generally of low quality. Matcha latte, $5 ...

Ash baked eggplant, puffed rice, edemame, sesame sauce When a restaurant is confident enough to use its street address as its name, you know they're all about no-fuss, good food. No 1 Bent Street is the culinary child of Mike McEnearney, one of Sydney's most beloved chefs, with a less-is-more, seasonal approach to food. The night starts off with some lovely, fluffy sourdough and pepe seya butter. The eggplant has retained much of its natural taste and texture, enhanced by the umami and beautiful sesame sauce which gives the dish a light, smooth, savoury twist. I've always been a fan of the fleshy, filling satisfaction eggplants bring, and this dish has depth but also retain the ingredient's freshness. Lazy sushi Lazy Sushi, mixed Lazy sushi is very similar to a poke bowl in many ways: raw fish and vegetables on a bed of rice. What made this dish stand out is the subtle yet delicious flavour of the rice. I can taste vinegar, sesame oil and shallot. Usua...

Just in case you were in any doubt as to what cuisine Temasek serves, the menus at this highly-rated Parramatta eatery is emblazoned with the Mer-lion, and the walls are filled with posters with the word "Singapore" written across them. However, I have heard the food described as Malaysian, which isn't really surprising, given the large Malaysian population in Singapore which must have influenced the cuisine. Being multicultural, Singaporean food is also influenced by Indonesian, Chinese, and Western cuisine.  Getting to Temasek at nightfall is a daunting task - the directions provided by Google maps isn't at all accurate, leading you down abandoned back-streets near council parking lots, which is no fun for a woman the size of a child with strength to match. Fortunately, another wary woman was found, and  we marched purposefully towards our mutual friend's birthday dinner. The first thing that hits you as you near Temasek is the amount of food reviews and a...

Ah, nostalgia. Is it just me, or has the past ten years been nothing but a long, ceaseless stream of nostalgia? Not that I mind: I love the stylistic choices of every decade before the 70s. Daisy's Milk Bar, as its name may suggest, is a 50s-styled, American-feel eatery that specialises in quick, greasy eats and frothy milkshakes. Classic strawberry milkshake, $6 I mean, it's a milkshake. Delicious enough, but nothing special. Daisy's also serves a 'deluxe' milkshake for $8 (a tad steep!) that 'comes in a glass' and has slightly more interesting flavours such as 'iced vovo' and 'choc peanut butter'. Call me a grinch, but I've never understood milkshakes. It seems a very quick and unsatisfying way of consuming a lot of calories. Bacon & Egg Roll, $10  The addition of fried onion to this breakfast classic makes the otherwise unremarkable dish smell like heaven. The egg is fresh with runny yolk, and the brioche bun is gently ...

One of the most lovable TV chefs is also a keen businessman, opening up a range of Italian restaurants around Australia. Threatened by liquidation of the company that used to own it, Jamie Oliver has since then bought back the Sydney restaurant named after himself and the menu has been refreshed to include a pretty good deal - 2 courses for $25, 3 courses for $30 Super Lunch (available Monday to Saturday).  The menu is not limiting at all - you can choose from 4 entrees, 5 main courses and 3 desserts; and they are all very substantial.  One of the entrees, for example, is the truffle tagliatelle - this is probably my favourite dish at Jamie's (and one of the few dishes that would tempt me back). Black truffle is, of course, an acquired taste - one I happen to love; and it is combined with a lovely soft porcini mushroom and al dente pasta. Truffle Tagliatelle The pate bruschetta is also delicious: grilled bread topped with a generous slathering of chicken liver p...

PART I: USELESS PREAMBLES  I would like to start this blog by quoting Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan of the Katering Show: 'But food isn't just about not shitting your pants...it's about controlling your life expectancy through what you put in your body so you never die expectantly on a toilet.' I, for one, definitely don't want to die on a toilet. And one way not to die on a toilet, I'm told, is to limit my sugar intake. Sugar, as we all know, is a great evil: it has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and slavery. Queen Elizabeth I, my idol, was a great lover of sugar, and she lost all her teeth. Clearly, our society did not learn from the loss by Liz I of her teeth, because since the 50s we keep on coming up with sugary treats targeted at children so that we grow up addicted to the sweet stuff: more than half of the cereals sold in the US sound like nothing but corn syrup held together by bits of wheat and marshmallows. Nothing excites u...

Headed by Nelly Robinson (ex numerous London Michelin-starred venues), Nel is an intimate fine dining restaurant that caters to my cold dead heart: no children under 12 allowed, smart-casual dress code. The food is a heavenly marriage between fresh seasonal produce and a showcase of culinary skills to manipulate textures and flavours. The Boss, $22 You can always tell the quality of an establishment from the details. Look. At. That. Ice Cube. I am not a fan of vodka so I have no idea what possessed me to order it, but no regrets. Nel has somehow made vodka (my least favourite spirit of all time) develop a depth akin to an old fashioned by pairing it with maple, chocolate bitters and cherry syrup.  Apple & elderflower mocktail, $10 For my darling mother (who is the definition of 'lightweight'), I ordered a crisp, tart, refreshing mocktail that completely changed my mind about mocktails - I wasn't a fan, now I absolutely am.  Lettuce, sorrel This a...