I Don't Eat, I Devour

Barangaroo is now home to a whole new host of restaurants and bars, from the cheap and cheery to the fancy shmancy. Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro is planted somewhere in the middle, but it distinguishes itself through its impressive list of vermouth (as its name would suggested). Other restaurants have long wine lists. Banskii has a long vermouth list. I didn't even know that there were that many varieties of vermouth: dry, white, red, rose...but now I do know. What a time to be alive.  L to R: raspberry citrus soda ($8); Banskii vermouth ($5); Mancino Rosso vermouth ($8), elderflower grapefruit soda ($8) The non-alcoholic sodas at Banksii all sound incredibly appetising and grown-up, but don't be fooled: these are the kind of sugar-laden concoctions that you must never, ever give to children or small dogs. I chose the Banksii vermouth - apart from its incredibly, unbelievably reasonable price, it must be something Banksii is proud of, to have put their own name on ...

Gogyo received quite a bit of hype even before it opened in Sydney. Owned by the same company behind Ippudo, Gogyo also has a few branches in Japan and one in Hong Kong. I know some people like Ippudo, but in my view, it barely makes top 10 of ramens in Sydney, so being Ippudo's sister restaurant, per se, didn't make me excited at all. What did pique my interest is Gogyo's signature dish: ramen in "burnt" broth, which adds a smokey depth to the broth. That was something I just had to try. Unlike most ramen restaurants, Gogyo's atmosphere is suitable for dates and more formalised catch-ups - it has a much more 'dine in' feel than your usual hole in the wall, cheap eat ramen restaurants. Gogyo also boasts a decent wine, cocktail and sake list. The prices, of course, reflect the more up-market nature of the joint. Rock Potatoes  This tiny dish is proof that good things come in small packages. Rock potatoes are slightly smashed whole tiny potato...

Japanese rice bowls - not to be mistaken with Hawaiian poke bowls, which has a Japanese influence - are something I have been wanting to try ever since I first heard about Juan, a tiny Japanese eatery with a strangely Spanish-seeming name. I knew Juan would be great the minute I saw its simple, focused menu. I have often found that the best restaurants do not have a PhD thesis-length menu (unless, of course, we're talking about a Hong Kong style tea house), but rather know exactly what they want to serve and how to serve it well. That is certainly the case at Juan - the menu consists of 5 bowls with suggested tea pairing, and one single dessert option. Wagyu Bowl, $24 The wagyu bowl consists of a mound of white rice covered by thin, beautifully pink slices of wagyu beef. You would be forgiven to think this is rare wagyu, but that is not the case. Despite its lovely pink appearance, what you see here is actually 2 hour slow-cooked wagyu roast. This impressive mountain is t...

Another day, another ramen. Sydney's ramen game is strong, to say the least. The signature dish at this ramen joint has the longest name of any dish I have ever reviewed (or came across). Behold, that Kono Deaini Kenshashite Aijou to Jonetsu Komete Isshoukenmei Tsukutta Uchirano Icchan Sukina Manpuku Shiawase Ramen. Mapuku signature ramen, $14.90 Available nowhere else in Australia (except, I presume, Manpuku's Kingsford location), Manpuku's signature dish is a blend of chicken and pork broth base, combined with medium straight noodles. It also comes with special seaweed imprinted with the Manpuku brand, which is pretty exciting. The signature broth is rich, deep, and hugely satisfying. Not as thick as the soup at  Gumshara , Manuku's soup is more drinkable, though it does not cling to the noodles the same way the Gumshara soup does. The pork and bamboo shoot, as well as the half soft boiled egg are all very good, and the addition of sprouts will no doubt add ...

A two hour train trip from Central station is all it took to get to this charming and quaint cafe ran by a cult. Yes, you read that correctly. Once known as the Common Ground, the Yellow Deli is owned and run by The Twelve Tribes, which may sound like rival families in an epic fantasy novel series, but it is a cult movement that is broadly Christian but does not align themselves to any denomination, believing all denominations are fallen. I have heard rumours of the group's interest in gathering male virgins, but we could hardly corroborate such tales with the lovely (albeit strangely mild-mannered) staff who were about to bring us food. In any case, I had no male virgins among my party to offer up anyway. Stepping into the Yellow Deli is like stepping into a tavern in Lord of the Rings, with wodden balconies and alcoves and tables with little flowers painted on them. A mythical, medieval taern - without a trace of alcohol, of course. Never mind, however, as the food is super...

I have heard a great deal about Gumshara - how this tiny eatery tucked inside a seedy-looking food court in Chinatown boasts the thickest Tonkotsu broth in all of Sydney. I already have a few ramen places I enjoy - Menya, in particular, comes to mind - so I was never quite motivated to seek Gumshara out. However, I was in the neighbourhood yesterday and decided to hunt this top-rated ramen down. It was quite difficult to find the spot - it really is buried deep inside a seriously depressing food court. It proudly displays a sign that says "no MSG" - in fact, that sign is larger than the Gumshara sign. I have to say that the broth is absolutely impressive considering it contains no MSG - the umami flavour is incredible. I added a soft boiled, seasoned egg to my order for an additional $2, and boy oh boy was that $2 well spent. I have never had a better soft boiled seasoned egg anywhere, including Menya, Ryo's, and various other ramen places I've been to. The eggyol...

One of my most anticipated new openings in the past couple of months, Loluk boasts authentic Southern French cuisine. Nestled in an extremely French-style terrace, the scene is perfect for some provincial food. On Sundays, Loluk puts on a two-course brunch with rose for $49. The entree choices are as follows. Gazpacho Personally, I have never understood the charm of gazpacho - if I want soup, I want it hot and comforting. Gazpacho is, however, perfect for a summer's day. The gazpacho at Loluk is well balance in flavour and served with crusty baguette. Goat cheese salad The goat cheese comes in the form of cheese croquettes. It is hearty, heavy and creamy, paring perfectly with a light salad with a simple vinaigrette dressing. Tuna tartare My choice of entree is the tuna tartare, and it is my favourite out of the entree choices. Though called tartare, the tuna is actually slightly cooked - or more accurately, cured in lemon juice a la ceviche. There were onl...