Devon Cafe

Thought I'd give you guys a break from all the Korean food related post and blog about my short trip to Sydney several weeks ago for a business conference.

Despite our tight schedule, I wanted to at least dine at one of the many cafe's that I've been reading up on. Since my colleague and I were put up at the Mercure Hotel, I figured Devon Cafe was perfect since it was close by.

We woke up exceptionally early before our flight back to Melbourne and headed straight to Devon Cafe. And of course the lack of sleep meant coffee was required!

Upon arrival, I took a sneaky peak at the baked goodies along the counter and my oh my, was I tempted to get one of those yummy looking Magic Muffin on the bottom left corner.

From memory, I think it was a combination of banana and Nutella - say whattttttt?!! But I told myself, "No no no, you need to reserve space in your tummy."

Instead, I went back to my seat and ordered the Breakfast with the Sakuma's - miso grilled king salmon, served with a side of smoked eel croquette, 63° egg, radish petit salad and kewpie mayo.

I already liked how Japanese inspired this dish sounds. But was even happier to find both the king salmon and egg cooked to perfection.

The salmon was smooth and "creamy" with a considerable amount of fats content (uh huh, think of all that Omega-3 I was consuming!)

And the egg... As soon as I poked my knife through, the oozy yolk came gushing out. YUM!

My colleague opted for the Ogre's Happy Meal - ox tongue, served with hash potatoes, cauliflower puree, pickled onion and fried egg.

Miss S said that those adorable cubed hash potatoes were the best hash potatoes she has ever had. That's a very big claim to make but she cannot help rave about how good they were, even up until today.

And me being the greedy little one, stole a small bite of the ox tongue. So delish, I had a bit of food envy!

I really enjoyed the meal and thought the menu was really creative. All that yumminess did come with a pricier cost, but I guess it is okay to indulge every now and again.

I also figured, whilst we were there, might as well make a quick detour to my favourite Bourke Street Bakery located just a couple of blocks ahead. I stopped by for a quick 5 minutes to take away a Strawberry Meringue tart.

This was what I was reserving my tummy space for. I no doubt devoured it in a blink of an eye! Ahhhh... so good! :D

Wished we were there for longer so I could dine at more places but I guess I can always return another time for a food trip!

Gimme some N2 Extreme Gelato now!

I have to admit that I can be quite a big kid sometimes. It was no surprise how excited I was when I stepped into N2 to find geeky-looking waitstaff donned in lab coats and science safety goggles, whipping up fresh gelato!

I've heard all about N2, and needless to say, I had them on my to-go-list for day 2. It was hilarious how we stumbled upon the shop though.

The Boyfriend and I were just wandering around Chinatown, finding our way back to the hotel for a quick nap and when I saw how funky the decor was, I stopped to have a closer look.

"OMG babe, it's N2! It's the liquid nitrogen gelato place I told you about. Can we go have some gelato now?" I'm not sure if it was the heat, his love for ice cream or my puppy eyes that worked, but sleepy boyfriend said YES! :D

Picture credit to N2 Extreme Gelato

They have very interesting flavours but the Boyfriend and I went for boring but nice Shorty - vanilla gelato with shortbread.

Here's a smokey picture of my gelato being made fresh to order! I really do like the concept, and I was so intrigued by the idea of using liquid nitrogen.

Here's how it works: Ingredients added into mixer bowl using test tubes, along with liquid nitrogen; funky KitchenAid machine works its magic; liquid nitrogen freezes the mixture and TADAH - ice cream for me and you! Very gimmicky, but I like! :D

Yeap, that's the huge tank of liquid nitrogen you see in the background!

The Shorty was so deliciously smooth and creamy. I find it a tad sweet, but no ice cream can be too sweet for the Boyfriend.

They do melt rather quickly though, but it did not take the Boyfriend and I long enough to lick the bowl clean. ;)

The Boyfriend loved it so much that he said we should return again that very same trip, but unfortunately 3d2n was just too short to cover all the places I wanted to visit.

We'll be back again, N2! See you when we visit Sydney next, hopefully soon. :) And that my friends, wraps up my Sydney posts (for now!).

Ippudō Sydney

I could not have gone to Sydney and not try the much talked about ramen place in Sydney - Ippudō.

I have to admit, prior to my trip I was tossing betweem Gumshara or Ippudō. But when I've been told that Gumshara's broth are much thicker than Ippudō's, I knew Ippudō was it.

Of course I've heard all about the long queues, so I was adamant that we had to get there as early as we possibly could.

Let me just say, dragging the Boyfriend out of bed especially on a holiday, was tough work. "5 more minutes babe," he kept mumbling, although he did wake up after a good half an hour. Tsk tsk.

BUT! As we were having lunch with his friends and they were running a bit late, I found out that there was no point of me arriving early as you're not allowed to be seated regardless of how early you arrive, until all your dining members are there. (-_-)"

So there I was standing first in line for a good 45 minutes, watching as others behind me being seated first. Meh.

But well, we eventually did get in, and I was STARVING! Thankfully our orders did not take long before they arrived at our table. Gotta love restaurants who want a quick turnaround! ;)

The Ippudō pork bun might look just like an ordinary bun, but believe you me, it's so so so so so delicious, you have no idea.

The buns were so soft (think cotton candy) I couldn't help caressing it. Okay that makes me sound a little sick, but seriously, it was so soft and fluffy, it felt like baby's skin.

And the pork belly, so beautifully braised, it was so tender and tasty. I could do with another one of this yummy bun... Or maybe make that two! Om nom nom! I cannot stop raving about this bun.

I've never tried the Momofuko bun yet, but this itself is already so mind-blowing, if some claims that Momofuko has the best, I need to get my fat belleh up to Sydney again.

I also had the Akamaru Tamago - original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil served with thin noodles.

The toppings for the original serve are a thick slab of chashu (pork belly), black mushroom, shallots, and if you like you can add on a flavoured tamago for $2 like I did.

I like the thin noodles, which were cooked perfectly al dente. And the broth was also very flavoursome yet not too thick or rich, to the extent that one is repulsed by it. I also really appreciate the garlicky (is there such a word?) taste.

I also mad love their flavoured tamago!! I love how soft the egg yolk is. Hmmm, I want to try to make this at home.

All in all, I have to say that whilst I did enjoy my bowl of ramen, I'd say that it wasn't that mind blowing. Definitely not worth partaking in the lengthy queues for, in my opinion.

I would definitely return to Ippudo again, no doubt. But mainly just for the pork bun. :D

Okay just one last rave, the braised pork sandwiched between steamed open bun, tasted SO DARN BLOODY AMAZING with Ippudō original sauce. :P

Cafe Sydney with my love!

As mentioned in my previous post, my very lovely (and generous!) Boyfriend took me on a short escapade to Sydney for my birthday.

Yeap, an all expense paid trip, and I got to choose a list of restaurants where I'd like to dine at throughout our 3d2n stay. Felt like the luckiest girl! *beams gleefully*

I chose Cafe Sydney for my birthday dinner date with the Boy, because like I've mentioned in my older post, the perfect atmosphere at Cafe Sydney itself sets you in a fantastic mood, that even before I was served with my food, I already felt happy.

And I did also say that hopefully the next time I visit, it'll be with my future (non-existent then) boyfriend, because I like how the ambience is quite romantic and it's a place I'd love to bring my him to, so I did!

Because he is nice like that, he suggested that instead of walking it, we take the ferry from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay because although I've been to Sydney about 9-10 times now, I've never rode on the ferry before.

Boy, was I glad that he did! Enjoyed the lovely breeze from cruising on the top deck, and enjoyed the lovely view of the harbour. :)

We finally arrived at Circular Quay after a 20 minutes ride, which on a side note, costed us $6 each! Why are public transport in Sydney so freaking expensive? It's madness really! Now I understand why my Sydney friends often say that they gotta walk a lot.

Anyhoos! We were greeted by friendly staff members who escorted us to our table by the window (yay!), overlooking the beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge where we watch the sun slowly set into the horizon.

A tip if you're keen to dine at Cafe Sydney, remember to always make a booking. Try asking for an outdoor table if you're up for it. Even in winter I think you'd be pretty comfortable as there will be heaters and they will even offer you with blankets. ;)

We started off with some mocktails (yes, I'm a weirdo who does not like cocktails) and spiced caramelised onion naan which tasted fantastic.

We didn't want to fill our tummies up with any more entree as the Boyfriend knew how much I was eyeing the dessert platter. So, we jumped straight into mains.

The brother swore by the Wagyu beef tenderloin. He has always dubbed this to be the best steak he has ever had, in his life. Mind you, he's one helluva fussy eater so for him to say that it's the best, it must have tasted pretty awesome.

So, of course the Boyfriend who does appreciate his steak couldn't have gone past not ordering this Wagyu dish. It was needless to say flavourful, tender and juicy!

But! It's not the best I've had, and also especially with a hefty price tag of $66, The Barn does better.

My brother has definitely missed out on the best. :P He needs to follow us up to The Barn. Maybe when we make another trip up to Mount Gambier again. One day.

I, on the other hand, had this super yummy South Australian pink snapper served with spanner crab cannelloni, atop a bunch of asparagus, green pea and crustacean bisque.

Can I just say that this was the best asparagus I've ever had in my life and the bisque was so good that I almost licked every drop that my spoon wasn't able to scoop up? So so yum!!

And to the best part of our night!!! I was quite full but I still couldn't go past the dessert platter which consist of three different desserts!!! Ahhh.... how amazing does that look, hey? *rubs belly*

My ultimate favourite was the warm raspberry tart served with raspberries, honey cream and raspberry ice cream. It was so refreshing and needless to add, DIVINE!!!

I also really enjoyed the peanut butter parfait, served with fried banana, salted caramel peanuts and chocolate ice cream. I don't know about you, but I love the PB + choc combo - so indulgent!

The final dessert was the double chocolate slice which was served with candied orange, orange sorbet, and cream fraiche.

It was quite yum, but at this point, I was feeling so stuffed, I couldn't stomach any more food.

Plus, it was too rich for my liking and the boyfriend, although a big fan of rich chocolate, was too full, so we didn't finish this last piece. :/

I know right, I am not usually one who would waste desserts but I was that full I could roll back!

T'was a very satisfying dinner and I had a really good time, but I'm not sure if I'll be returning again any time soon now that I've been there twice already. There are so many places in Sydney that I'd love to try! 

For those who have never been, it is a must go. Especially if you're on a date! Your partner would definitely be impressed. ;)

 Thank you my love, for the wonderful night! :)

And here's one last shot of the pretty Harbour Bridge view before we took a short walk back to our hotel.

It's all about M-A-C-A-R-O-N-S!!!

One of the first dessert places that the Boyfriend and I headed to when we were in Sydney was Café Cre Asion which was tucked away in a hidden laneway of Alberta Street.

I've heard all about this hidden gem and how amazing their macarons are, so despite being so tired from our early flight in, we somehow still managed to garner the energy to walk our way to Cre Asion with the help of Google Maps!

Walking through the door of this tiny café, I spotted their huge selection of macarons that they had on display - some your usual flavours, and the rest of them, unique with an Jap/Asian spin.

The Boyfriend and I selected four to share amongst the two of us, and we decided to go for the more unique flavours.

From L-R (clockwise): Thai milk tea, Dear Chris (chocolate hazelnut), yuzu, green tea!

I particularly like the Thai milk tea most, and so does the Boyfriend - tasted just like that Thai milk tea drink! If you like the drink, then you will definitely love this macaron.

The Dear Chris macaron tasted a fair bit like the Ferraro Rocher chocolate and being the chocolate lover, the Boyfriend appreciated the flavour more than I did.

The yuzu was very citrusy, but I find that it was a tad too tangy for my liking. Then again, I don't like anything that is tangy so you get the drift. :P

The green tea macaron had a very subtle flavour, I could barely taste any matcha-ness. I love my green tea so I definitely wish it was stronger.

I really like the texture of the macarons which were very consistent between all four of them - crisp on the surface, chewy when bitten in, with the perfect amount of filling.

I can't say for sure that they are the best macarons in Sydney as many have claimed, considering I have yet to try all the places, but I definitely prefer Cre Asion to Zumbarons, and perhaps I'd say that they are on par with La Renaissance.

The next time I am back in Sydney, I might or might not return to Cre Asion. I have a never ending list of places that I'd love to try, but if I were to live in Sydney, who knows, it might be a different story altogether. ;)

You know you want one! ;)

Ms. G's turns me on BIG time!

I told the Boyfriend during lunch break one day that I had some time on hand and that I was bored. And well, this was his response, “Go update your blog if you have a few spare minutes haha!”

I hopped onto my blog to have a look. Wow, the last time I updated my blog was over a month ago, on the 18th January. Eeeep!

I'm sorry guys, I am a bad blogger, isn’t it? I abandon my blog ALL THE TIME. I think nobody bothers reading my blog anymore now. :|

But anyways I decided that I shall still blog anyway, regardless if anyone reads this or not. Because today's the last of Feb and at least I can say, I blog once a month. :P

Cracked my head to think of ALL the yummy food I’ve eaten over the past couple of months in Sydney, Melbourne and Malaysia (yep, I went home too... which is why I've been MIA-ing! *excuses*) and the first thing that comes to mind was the famous Ms. G’s.

I made up a list of places to go for nice nomz when the Boyfriend took me on a short escapade to Sydney for my birthday (I know right, he deserves extra brownie points for that!), and well as if I'm not already stating the obvious, Ms. G's was one of them.

Yeap, it's that Ms. G’s right there from Sydney that turned me on and gave me foodgasm. :O

I've read a lot about Ms. G's much raved about mini banh mi with crisp pork belly, but in my honest opinion although it was nice, there wasn't a WOW factor to it.

The crisp pork belly was tender, crisp and had a nice flavour to it, but that was that.

I wasn't as amazed with the mini banh mi as I was with the fried chicken. Who knew right! I mean this is coming from someone who doesn't really fancy fried chicken.

This is the finger licking good Ms. G's fried chicken "chops" done in two ways: naked with the most amazing jerk mayo and the spicy Korean.

Whenever the Boyfriend suggests Gami for dinner, I'd cringe at the idea. At most I can have 3 pieces of Gami chicken, and I'd feel sick to the core already. But with Ms. G's, it was so good, I wanted more!!

And let me tell you, that jerk mayo was seriously out of the world!!! Too friggin' delicious, I dipped my finger in and licked it clean. So unlady-like! :$ Thank goodness this wasn't like our first date, or I might scare the Boyfriend off. :P

We also shared the Jow's sweet and sour lamb ribs. Whoever Jow is, he must be a pretty smart bloke because these ribs are so SOOOOOO delish - seriously, one of the best I've had!

Just look at that!!! The meat was so tender, that it was easily peeled off the bones. It was extremely delicious. I am drooling just by looking at the pictures.

Yeap peeps, that's right - this is exactly how I look like right now. :P

Although I was tempted, we decided against desserts at Ms. G's as I wanted to save some tummy space for Flour & Stone which was a short 15 minutes walk away.

But when we arrived and saw that they were closed, I was so so so so upset. The words "Reopening 14th Jan" broke my heart.

I was really looking forward to some good desserts. In saying good desserts, I really meant the much talked about lamington. Boo! :'(

I cannot wait until the Boyfriend and I head back to Sydney again. Because 1) I want to go back to Ms. G's for its amazing food, friendly staff members and cozy ambience and 2) GOD DAMN I WANT TO TRY THAT DAMN LAMINGTON FROM FLOUR AND STONE! It's been two, yes t-w-o months, and I'm still thinking about it.

If ever you're in Sydney, Ms.G's better be at the top of your list! And if you try the lamington before me, boo! Shuddup and go away, I don't want to talk to you. Yes, I am kiasu (competitive) like that.

*kiasu - According to Wikipedia, is a Hokkien word that literally means 'fear of losing'.

Sydney: Top 10 to-eat-places! ;)

I've had readers coming up to me requesting that I share my Sydney itinerary with them which thus, inspired me to come up with this top 10 favourite dining places post. Click on the light blue links to read more about the respective cafes/restaurants. :)

Disclaimer: This top 10 favourite to-eat-places in Sydney are merely just my recommendations based on my dining experiences there. I am not claiming to be the you-know-all but I hope this will help those who are going for a free-and-easy holiday and would love to try out as much as they can, but is not quite familiar with the place. May I place an emphasis that everyone's tastes and opinions are different, so that means what I deem is yummeh might not be the same for you. But of course, I hope you'll enjoy my recommendations. (:

My #1 - Bourke Street Bakery ♥

There's a reason as to why BSB sits as my number 1 - because the above gave me a tartgasm! I can proudly say that Bourke Street Bakery's a gem!

I wished I had more tummy space to stomach in some sausage rolls too, but after 5 tarts and with dinner in an hour's time, I had to control and stop myself from indulging too much with a pinky promise to myself that I will be returning soon. And I will. Soon.

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My #2 - Cafe Sydney

Perfect ambience - TICK.

Fantastic view - TICK.

Excellent mains - TICK.

Absolutely divine desserts - TICK!!!

Because I've got friends of whom had difficulty locating Cafe Sydney, I thought this might be of a little help. :) While you're at this area, might as well spend some time at Circular Quay.

You can visit with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. I'd recommend to also head over to The Rock for La Renaissance while you're there to take away some macarons, or you may opt to chill at the cafe. Then perhaps, to Lowenbrau for dinner after. 

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My #3 - Plan B

B.O.B Wagyu Burger - A MUST-HAVE!!! Ah yes, you must be wondering, what the heck does B.O.B stands for? Well, it's my acronym for 'best of the best'. Need I say more? ;)

The Queen Victoria building is only a mere 5 minutes away, so I would suggest to head over for a look-see. Then catch the bus from QV bus station (sorry, I forgot which bus number to take, but ask around, the locals might be able to help you) either to Adriano Zumbo or Paticceria Papa. Should take you only 20-30 minutes.

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My #4 - La Renaissance

Having tried macarons in a few places, I dub La Renaissance as my top favourite macaron place. And the best by far - they're not hard, yet not soft either. They were spot-on, with a nice crisp that makes you go "WOW" as you bite into them.

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My #5 - Adriano Zumbo

To be really frank with you, Adriano Zumbo Patisserie is sitting up here as my #5 favourite not so much for how good his desserts taste but more so because I admire him a lot.

I really really give it to him, I mean he really is talented and is very innovative and creative with his creations. I salute him for being able to whip up such beautiful yet edible art.

And I'm gonna confess that deep down inside, I believe that the desserts which doesn't taste as good as I expect them to be are not made by him.

After all, he has a few shops to run, so I believe he would surely delegate some desserts to his apprentice or staff. Haha yes, I am biased like that. Because to me, he is like a hero - he is my Culinary Arts Hero. :P

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My #6 - East Ocean

I have never tasted an egg custard bun this scrumptious before. Nuff' to convince you, no? Everything was so good that I have nothing much to comment on East Ocean except to say that it's a family favourite and that I've been there for more than 10 times? Haha.

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My #7 - Lowenbrau

If you're up for some German beer and sinful pork indulgence, there is no other better place to go if not to Lowenbrau. Best if you go with a bunch of friends to enjoy the entertaining activities up front the restaurant. ;)

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My #8 - House

If you fancy Thai (and I mean authentic Thai), House could be your dinner option after an absolutely heart-filling tea time at Bourke Street Bakery, provided you don't go crazy and have 5 tarts in a go like I did. Although chances are, you just might... Then I'd suggest to just go for the gai yang (above picture)! :P

Just a recommendation, you may opt to spend your day at Surry Hills area for a day visiting Cafe Ish for brunch then spending some time at Chinatown, Market City, and Paddy Market before going up to Bourke Street Bakery then House for dinner.

You can then take a stroll over to Darling Harbour for a breezy walk, sit down by the water to let the wind caress your face as emo thoughts fill your mind. When you think you've had enough, head to Pancake Parlour for desserts if your tummy permits.

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My #9 - Radio Cairo

I do not have a proper post nor do I have any food-pornography to share, but this is a place that I'd love to return to again.

It's a mix of Caribbean, Indian and African inspired and may I say that I think their ribs tasted so much better than the overrated Hurricanes? ;)

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My #10 - Wagaya

Good, affordable sushi place with hi-tech ordering system - because it is so cheap for the quality & quantity you're getting, you might find yourself returning time and again; just like I did. ;)

Although chances are pretty low, but if you're not already stuffed from all that good sushi at Wagaya, I'd say head over to Chat Thai for some dessert. But don't say I didn't warn you... The queue might just be crazy, you'd be better off taking away.

I'd suggest not to head back to your hotel. If you haven't already done so, take a slow walk over to Darling Harbour and if you wish, head up to Star Casino to try your luck! Who knows you might be lucky enough to win yourself enough to cover all your food expenses? ;)

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BONUS PICK ;)

And if you have extra time, head over to the University of Sydney to take some pretty pictures! Do remember to head in to the Quadrangle Building, you'd be surprised to note that it is a university. ;)

And while you're at that area, on King Street specifically, you might want to head over to Newtown for some yummehlicious. Among the popular cafes is Black Star Pastry that stands out with its very refreshing and delicious watermelon cake.

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So yeah, that pretty much wraps up my "top 10 to-eat-places in Sydney" post! Yup yup, I know... You're most definitely welcome! ;P I hope you enjoy stuffing your tummy silly!

For other food places, hover over my left-hand sidebar. Those restaurants may not have made it to my Top 10 list, but some of them are pretty good too. Although I wouldn't say the same for Quay. ;)